The New Ranger In Town
by TheYoshiGurl
Summary: Hold on guys and girls, 'cause there's a new Ranger in the making! This story follows the life of a young girl who is dedicated to being a Starship Ranger! She'll get to meet the whole crew too! Rated T. Chapter 18 (FULL) updated!
1. The Dinner Incident

**The beginning**

* * *

><p>The feeling of accomplishment travelled through the young girl's veins as she walked confidently down the hallway of the Starship Ranger Academy. She had just gotten her results from her final exams to become a Starship Ranger. She passed with flying colours. Ever since she was an itty-bitty little girl she had wanted to be a Starship Ranger. She couldn't help but smile as she continued walking down the hallway, trying to hide her smile by keeping her head down, letting her oddly coloured orange and black, and shoulder length hair cover her face like a veil. She was going to be the best Dead God damn Ranger she could be. As she walked towards her room door she was knocked to the floor with a loud thump. She hoisted herself up and rubbed her lower back.<p>

"Hey! What'd ya do that for?" She blurted as she realised who it was. It was those famous blue eyes, that moustache, those muscles that she recognised.

"I'm really sorry for that. I swear it was an accident," The Alabaman accent was just as recognisable as the man himself.

"N-No, it's really fine! I'm so sorry, Commander Up!" The young girl said; she was nervous and almost shaking. She was standing in front of the most famous Ranger in the galaxy. He was her idol.

Up chuckled at what the girl said. "No really. It's my fault because I wasn't looking where I was going," He said and smiled.

_What was he doing here anyway?_ She thought. Surely Commanders didn't come to the Academy unless they were going to pick out the fittest Academy graduates to train to be Starship Rangers. Wait! Was he here _because_ he was going to pick out the graduates?

"Th-Thanks, Commader!" The girl said and smiled nervously. She was trembling with excitement and fear.

"What's your name, girl?" Up asked as they moved to the side of the hallway to let other busy staff and students walk by; all of them staring at Up.

"Axyl Desideratus, sir," The girl stammered as she tried to get the words out perfectly but failed.

"Isn't that a boy's name?" He asked as his eyebrows furrowed.

"Uh, yeah, my parents weren't too keen on having a baby girl so they gave me the name that they were going to call the boy," Up chuckled again and put a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Well, that's a mighty fine name for a girl," He said and winked.

Axyl trembled but she couldn't control her body. Up could feel her shaking.

"You don't need to be so nervous," He said as he took his hand off her shoulder. "Well, I better be going! Maybe I'll see you around sometime," He said as he gave her one of his prized smiles and continued on his way.

As soon as the Commander was out of her sight Axyl sunk to the floor and melted. "I met Commander Up! _The_ Commander Up!" She whispered to herself and giggled to herself like a fangirl.

She then slapped herself for letting herself get to this point. _I am most definitely NOT a fangirl!_ She thought as she crawled the remaining 4 metres to her room. She punched in the code for her room and slide in with the door closing behind her. She made her way to the table in the middle of the small room and pulled herself up. She shook her head and pinched herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming about meeting Commander Up.

"Oh. Dead. God. Commander Up is amazing!" She said aloud as she walked into her bathroom and washed her face.

As Axyl walked out of the bathroom she saw the time on the clock. It was nearly 7:30, just about time for dinner. Most of the other younger grade students were probably getting back from training or classes by this time.

"I better hurry before the first serve of food is gone," She said as she quickly bolted out the door.

* * *

><p>Axyl rushed down the hallway and down one flight of stairs before she reached the cafeteria. Luckily not many people were there yet so she grabbed a tray and piled on as much food as she wanted, which wasn't very much. The first serves of food were always the best and everyone would push and shove to get them. With her trays in her hands Axyl found an empty table and sat down. She picked up her fork and started prodding at the steaming chicken. She heard the loud stampede of young Starship Rangers in the making as they all squeezed in through the cafeteria doors.<p>

"Man, am I glad to have gotten here just seconds earlier..." Axyl muttered to herself as she started eating the chicken along with the steaming vegetables.

The cafeteria got immensely louder with the other students in there. Most of them bunched up on tables nearest to the door while others sat away from that area. Axyl was sitting at the table right up the back where no one, except her, sat. She was about to put another fork full of her dinner into her mouth when she was knocked by a boy. The fork, with the food on it, got shoved into her mouth hard causing Axyl to choke on the food. The boy that knocked her turned around and started laughing and was soon joined by his group of friends.

"Hahaha! Look! Axyl can't even chew her food properly!" He said while laughing loudly.

Most of the students in the room stared at the choking girl and laughed. Axyl coughed up the bits of chicken and vegetables back on to her plate and wiped her mouth. She stood up with a blank expression as she turned around to face the boy.

"I'm sorry, what did you say, pinprick?" She asked in a cold, menacing tone.

Not only did she have a boy's name, she also had the personality to match it. Most of the people in the cafeteria who were near the group of boys fell silent. The boy who had knocked her had dropped his smile and was now looking scared. Axyl had a good and bad reputation. She was one of the star pupils of the Starship Ranger Academy and was a generally nice person but she was also really mean and scary if she ever got bullied. Only the dumbest of the dumb would ever do something like that to her.

"Uh...Ha...ha. I was just...joking?" He said as his voice got softer and softer as he stepped back towards his friends.

"That's what they all say," She said as she sighed. "Well, you made fun of me so I'm going to make fun of you, Bradley" She said as she grabbed the boy's shirt and brought his face close to her's.

The boy tried escaping her grasp but failed. He whimpered as his face neared Axyl's. Bradley was the same height as Axyl but was slightly bulkier. He was very infamous amongst the students; he was a trouble maker and a bit of a dumbass.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I won't do it again!" He cried. "Please don't hurt me!" He pleaded.

"If I let you go then everyone would think that I've gone soft or that I have a little crush on you, which will never happen," She replied as she tightened her grip. She did all this with a bored expression.

By this time everyone, including the lunch ladies who were serving food, was watching in awe and fear. Axyl swung her arm that was holding Bradley into the nearest wall, letting go before he made contact with the concrete wall. His head and body made a loud crack sound as he hit the wall. The boy instantly dropped to the ground with his hands around his head and curled up into a little ball. A small pool of blood, coming from his nose and a cut on his forehead, started to form.

"Someone call the nurse again!" One of the older students called out to the by-standing students.

One of the students rushed out of the cafeteria to call the nurse. Axyl sighed as she sat back down and finished her dinner. By the time Axyl dropped her tray down the cleaning chute a nurse rushed in and spotted Bradley cowering on the floor up the back. She paused for a moment to look over at the perpetrator; at Axyl. Anything like this that happened would automatically be assumed that Axyl had caused it. Little did Axyl know that Commander Up was watching from outside. A professor barged in and stared at Axyl.

"Miss Desideratus, to the headmaster's office immediately!" The professor said as he pointed his finger out the cafeteria doors.

Axyl sighed yet again as she marched out of the cafeteria. This wasn't the first time that she had been sent to the headmaster's office. She pushed past the doors and completely bypassed the Commander. He didn't say anything and let her go.

* * *

><p>"Axyl Desideratus, this is the 3rd time this semester that you've been sent here for hurting another student. I know that you are a star pupil but these actions can affect that record." The headmaster said as he interlaced his fingers and leaned forward against the desk he was sitting behind.<p>

"I know," Axyl replied. "But it wasn't my fault! That Bradley knocked me and got his little gang to laugh at me while I choked on my food!" She said defensively.

The headmaster just shook his head. "That still doesn't give you any right to do those sorts of things to other students even if they were bullying you. I am aware of your reputation as a very scary person when you want to be and that needs to stop," He explained.

Axyl slumped into her chair. She was sick of all this crap that she was getting from the headmaster, the teachers and those dead god damn boys. When Axyl first started out as a junior student at the Academy she was made fun of because she had a boy's name but she looked nothing like a boy. She dealt with it by ignoring it. But ignoring those kinds of things for more than 4 years wasn't going to solve her problems. She had to be strong, be tough! She needed to be the toughest son of a bitch there ever was!

"Miss Desideratus? What are you going to do?" The headmaster asked.

Axyl sat there for a few moments pretending to think of something to say. "I'm going to go back to my room and cry myself to sleep," She said in a monotone voice, jokingly.

The headmaster didn't smile or laugh. "Alright, you're dismissed." He said with a wave of his hand.

Axyl nodded as she got up and walked towards the door. She turned around, gave a half-arsed salute and walked out. She dragged her feet along the slated flooring of the hallway and towards her room. She sighed as she put in the code to her room and stepped in, letting the door close behind her. She slinked over to her bed and flopped, belly up, on the bed. She took a deep breath in and sighed loudly.

"This sucks..." She muttered as she put her hands behind her head.

Why was she always getting into trouble for things that she didn't start? It was a mystery that she would never find out. She stared up at the dull crème coloured ceiling and slowly drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow the Commander was going to pick the fittest students to start the _real_ training to be a Starship Ranger.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: This is just a little introduction to my new fanfic. Hopefully you all like it! There will be more to it! It might take me a while to make the next chapter though! Anyways, in the next chapter there will be a meeting held for all the graduate students to see who gets to start the real training :P Don't forget to review! Stay tuned!<strong>


	2. I'm A Tough Son Of A Bitch!

Axyl woke up to the annoying cries of the alarm clock that was placed on her bedside table. She turned over to face and smacked the snooze button. She rubbed her eyes before pushing herself up into a sitting position. Then it hit her, the meeting today for all the graduate students! She quickly got up from her bed, practically leaping from the bed and to the bathroom to quickly shower.

After her shower, Axyl rushed to her closet. What was she going to wear? Her uniform of course! Why would she wear anything else? She grabbed a crisp, clean black singlet and threw on her Ranger jacket, buttoning the middle button and leaving the rest undone. She then slipped on her long baggy camouflage pants and her favourite black and white boots.

Once dressed, Axyl gave her shoulder length hair a few brushes before rushing out the door. She was too excited to eat breakfast and went straight to the gymnasium; that was where they were meeting up. She was still about half an hour early so she just sat down on one of the benches with weights sitting on either side.

"I'll work out a little later if I don't get accepted..." She muttered as she looked at all the different sized weights.

Suddenly she heard footsteps close by. She looked up over to the door and saw the headmaster and other staff entering.

"And she said that he was getting way too clingy!" One of the teachers said in those gossip voices you always hear on high school TV shows.

The group of teachers laughed then stopped as their eyes set on Axyl. "Oh, um, ahem...Yes, she was acting rather inappropriate," The same teacher said as she cleared her throat and her face reddened.

Axyl raised a brow and looked away. "Did teachers always act like this when students weren't around? I sure hope that's not what happens when we train to be real Starship Rangers..." She thought and sighed.

She had to wait another 25 minutes before the meeting began. She watched as the teachers and headmaster set up chairs for the staff and special guests. How many special guests were there going to be? _One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight? Eight guests? _She was wondering who was going to show up.

* * *

><p>At 10:00am most of the graduate students started piling in and either sat on the floor or on free benches. Soon enough all of the graduates were fitted into the gym. The teachers and headmaster sat up on a makeshift stage on cushioned chairs. The headmaster walked up to the podium and tapped lightly on the microphone.<p>

"Welcome all graduates!" He said and smiled, his voice caught everyone's attention. "Now that I've got your attention I'd like to congratulate you all on passing your exams and completing your training. Today we have very special guests who, as you may have heard, recently conquered Bug World, defeated the evil plans of Dr. SpaceClaw and befriended the inhabitants of Bug World," He continued on.

Everyone was getting excited as the tension in the atmosphere grew. Axyl was the most excited of them all but didn't move a muscle. She was just waiting for the headmaster to call out those names that meant so much to her.

"Please welcome the Starship Rangers: Officer Specs, Private Kayonder, Private Tootsie, Science Officer February, Ultra-Beam MegaGirl, Ambassador Bug, Lieutenant Taz and last but not least Commander Up!" The headmaster announced as the eight Starship Rangers came into the gym as their names were called out.

The room erupted into thunderous applause and cheers. Axyl just clapped and smiled, trying to keep herself calm. As the eight Rangers sat down the headmaster raised his hand and the group of graduates fell silent. Most of them were staring at the Rangers in awe. The headmaster smiled again.

"I'd like to invite Commander Up to say a few words to you all," The headmaster said as he stepped away from the podium and gestured for Up to stand up to the podium.

Up stood up straight and tall and walked over to the podium in silence. He looked around the whole room filled with potential Rangers and gave them all a stern look. "Mornin' everyone. As you may already know, my name is Commander Up. I'm here today with my crew to test the strength, the intelligence and the spirit of you all to see if you have what it takes to be a Starship Ranger," He said in a loud voice with a hint of authority.

Some of the weaker graduates flinched at what Up said. The others remained as still as possible. Up continued on.

"We'll be here for the rest of the day testing you all. Specs will be testing you on general knowledge, Krayonder will be testing you on basic weaponry, February will be looking out for stylish graduates and basic science, MegaGirl will be testing you on your knowledge of basic robotics, Bug will be testing you on languages, Taz will be testing you on physical ability, endurance and strength, I will be looking for the toughest sons-of-bitches and Tootsie...Well, he'll be looking out for any 'softer' graduates," Up explained as he gestured to the respective Rangers.

Axyl smiled as her excitement level went off the charts. "I'm going to be meeting them all in person and they're going to be testing me!" She thought.

"Alright! Let's get started!" Up said as he stepped away from the podium.

* * *

><p>The headmaster walked up to the podium and opened his mouth to speak. "Ok, all of you have been categorised by your results from the final exam," He said as a few groans were let out. "100-95 over here, 94-90 over here, 89-85 over here, 84-80 over there, 79-75 over here, 74-70 over here, 69-65 over here and 64-60 over here," He explained as he started from his left and going on to his right.<p>

Everyone got up from where they were sitting and walked over to their respective groups. Axyl got 100 for her final results and walked over to the very left with a few other graduates. She watched as Taz walked up to the podium.

"Ok, _idiotas_, if jou don't do well now you can just forget about being a Starship Ranger!" Taz yelled into the microphone. Some of the graduates jumped. "Jou all better kick it up a notch if jou wanna be like us!" She finished as she stepped away from the podium.

The headmaster directed the Rangers to their groups. Tootsie was with the 64-60s, Krayonder was with the 69-65s, February was with the 74-70s, Specs was with the 79-75s, MegaGirl was with the 84-80s, Bug was with the 89-85s, Taz was with the 94-90s and Up was with the 100-95s.

Axyl was really excited about having the Commander first because she idolised him. The headmaster nodded for them to start the testing. Axyl and her small group of 95-100s were led to a corner of the gym where a small room with walls was set up. She didn't notice it before when they were setting up. She obviously wasn't paying attention. Up stood outside the room with the group of the most successful graduates; they had gotten the highest grades. He inspected them all individually for about a minute. While he was doing this Axyl looked over at the other groups.

Taz and her group were doing drills first to warm them up. Bug had seated his group in a circle and started talking to them in a different language. MegaGirl was standing near the stage with her group cowering from her because she was a robot; she was trying to get them to label simple parts of a robot. Specs had ready test papers for her group as she let them spread out on the ground. February and her group were standing in the middle of the gym; she was talking to them about some 'schience-ey stuff' and adding in a few fashion pointers. Krayonder had pulled out his very own zapper and started asking each and every member of his group to show him specific parts of the zapper. And Tootsie was just politely chatting with his group and giving them all their Farm Planet names.

"Alright!" Axyl heard the Alabaman accent break through her thoughts. "I'll start with the one who got the lowest in this group," He said as he looked at the 6 students.

Axyl looked over at the others; she knew that she had the highest results. One of the other 5 stepped forward and swallowed hard. He was a little frightened of Up.

"I-I got the lowest of the group, sir," The young boy stuttered.

"Well, come on," Up said as he led the boy into the makeshift interrogation room.

For some reason the other graduates couldn't hear anything that was going on in that room.

* * *

><p>By the time they were finished the boy came out trembling uncontrollably and at the brink of crying.<p>

"You need to man up! You still have 7 other chances though..." Up said as the boy sat down, still trembling.

The others looked a little more scared now that they knew that we could make them cry just as easily as that boy. Axyl was a little worried but didn't let it go to her head. She needed to impress Up otherwise she would never let herself be a Starship Ranger.

"Who's next?" The Commander asked.

The other 4 students stepped back. Axyl sighed and raised her hand. "Mind you, I did get the highest results..." She added as she walked into the room with Up.

As Axyl entered the room she took in her surroundings. It looked completely different from the gym. There was a rectangular table set in the middle of the small room with two chairs opposite each other, the walls were a dull grey like and actual interrogation room. Up seated himself in the chair closest to the two. Silently, he gestured for her to sit down on the other side. She did so calmly on the outside, but on the inside she was almost about to break. She sat there in silence as Up inspected her. He didn't look at her like he did in the hallway; his eyes were like deep blue voids of nothing. When Up spoke Axyl felt herself jump a little.

"You got the highest marks over the whole grade did ya?" His voice was cold and menacing; nothing like how he had spoken to her before.

"Y-Yes, sir," Axyl replied trying not to sound too intimidated.

She crossed her legs tightly, trying not to let them shake. Up nodded. The atmosphere was very tense.

"Well, I'm sorry to say but grades aren't the only important thing to become a Starship Ranger," He said. "Not everyone can be smart _and_ tough," _Unless of course you're Taz_, He thought.

"I'm fully aware of that, sir. I think I failed to mention earlier that I am quite good at combat and weaponry," Axyl's confidence was starting to increase the more time she spent with the Commander.

"At least it's good to know that there is someone tougher than that scrawny boy I interviewed first," Up said and sighed.

Axyl didn't know why that boy thought the Commander was scary. Once you get used to his more serious side then it wasn't that bad.

"Thank you, sir," She replied and gave a quick smile and wiping it away just as quickly.

"I like you Axyl. You're one tough son-of-a-bitch. I think you'll make it far as a Ranger," Up meant every word.

Axyl's heart skipped a beat. _I'm a tough son-of-a-bitch. I'm going to make it far as a Ranger? Up is the best!_ She thought as her bottled up excitement was getting a little too much for her. She didn't let it show though.

"Well, your time's up. Send the next one in," Up said as he remained seated.

Axyl nodded as she stood up and walked out of the room. As she opened the door she could see the other 5 students rushing back to their original spots and trying to act casual. She knew they were eavesdropping. She pointed to one of the 4 who hadn't gone in.

"You, you're next. Get in there before Up get's impatient," She said as she went to sit down on a bench.

The person that she had pointed to shivered and shuffled nervously into the room. The remaining students stared at Axyl in awe.

"What was it like?" Three of them asked.

"Like hell," Axyl lied.

She kept calm and her mind laughed at how the other's faces fell blank. This was going to be good.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Sorry! This chapter took a little longer than expected to make! Hopefully you all think it's good! Next chapter will be up soon! :D Stay tuned!<strong>


	3. We're Friends?

After all the students had been interviewed by Up all of them, except for Axyl, had cried. She rolled her eyes. She knew that they all admired and looked up to the Commander but they wouldn't just cry, would they? She thought it was rather pathetic and showed signs of weakness. After everyone was done in all the different groups they switched. The group Up was with first went to Tootsie, Tootsie's group went to Krayonder, Krayonder's group to February, so on so forth. Tootsie greeted his new group with a warm grin and firm handshakes for all of the students.

"Hello everyone! My name is Tootsie MegaGirl!" He said with that goofy smile on his face.

All six of them couldn't help but smile. They all introduced themselves to Tootsie and were soon chatting like they were very good friends.

"So, Tootsie, what kind of name is that?" One of the students asked.

"Well, where I come from, Farm Planet, your first name is what you do and your second name is what you like. So, Tootsie on account of my occasional 'toot' and MegaGirl 'cause I like her. Well, she's my wife I really love her. She's so pretty!" Tootsie explained as he gazed over at his robotic wife with loving eyes.

Everyone followed his vision and looked over at MegaGirl who had yet again scared the group of graduates. MegaGirl noticed and waved to her husband; Tootsie waved back.

"So, what would my Farm Planet name be?" One of Axyl's group members asked.

Tootsie looked back at his group. "Well, what do you do? And what do you like?" He asked.

This went on for about 5 minutes with everyone finding out their Farm Planet names. When it was time to switch people again Tootsie gave the group a very long goodbye.

* * *

><p>The day progressed as Axyl showed much potential in all areas even February was saying how unique her hair looked and how it suited her. The groups all had a half hour break before their fifth rotation for lunch. The graduates walked out of the gym and into the almost packed cafeteria. All of the younger grades were staring at them. Some of the graduates were sweating from Taz's drills and sparring while others collapsed on to the tables from their brain's frying after Spec's test. Only a few students were left unaffected by the tests to far.<p>

* * *

><p>Axyl lined up for some food, she didn't want to eat too much just in case she threw up while doing some hard core drills with Taz. She only grabbed a quarter of a plate of spaghetti and a small serve of mixed vegetables. She made her way over to the drink dispensers and got herself a glass of cool water. She made her way over to her usual table in the back. Most of the students learned from the day before not to mess with Axyl in case she threw another person into the wall again.<p>

She finished her food faster than the others so that she could get back to the gym faster. The others were glad that they had a break so they could relax and goof around for a while. Axyl got out of the cafeteria as fast as she could without looking too strange. She made her way to the gym and peeked through the door before walking in. The headmaster and staff weren't there but the Rangers were.

* * *

><p>"What should I do?" Axyl muttered to herself as she continued to stare at the eight peoplebug/robot that she idolised.

Before she could register what she was doing she was already through the doors. The Rangers looked over at her. Up took a step forward and smiled.

"Well, if it isn't the best son-of-a-bitch in this Academy!" He said and laughed.

Axyl laughed too. The other Rangers looked strangely at each other. Taz stepped forward next to Up.

"Jou know this _chica_, Up?" She asked as she looked at Axyl with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, I do. I met her this morning in the hallway. And she was the only one who didn't cry when I interviewed her," Up explained as Taz's expression softened.

"Ah, no wonder Up likes jou so much..." Taz said and nodded. "Well, I'll just have to find out myself when jour group gets up to me," She said as she sat back down.

Axyl couldn't stop smiling. "I-I have never wanted something so bad before in all my 18 years of existence," She said and laughed.

Up and the rest laughed along with her. "Thank dead God that you've got potential to do great as a Ranger," He held his hand out for her to shake.

Axyl hesitated momentarily before extending her own arm and holding on to Up's bigger and stronger one. After a firm handshake they both let go.

"Ok everyone! This here is Axyl Desideratus," Up introduced to the other Rangers.

They all waved and said hi. Axyl felt so happy right now, like she could die. She sat down with them for a while and chatted. Axyl didn't notice but the other graduates started piling back into the gym. She looked over at the others and sighed. She just wanted to stay like this for a while longer. The headmaster stepped up to the podium again and tested the microphone.

* * *

><p>"Alright, time to resume the testing!" He said and more groans could be heard from the students.<p>

They all got back into their groups and to the next Ranger they were being tested on. The Ranger Axyl was going to next was Specs. Specs smiled as the smartest group of people walked her way. She handed all six of them their papers as they walked past her. They all spread out across the area by themselves and started when Specs said so. In a matter of minutes Axyl had finished the 2 (double-sided) paged test. She got up and handed her completed paper to Specs. The Ranger looked a little surprised to see someone handing in her test so early.

"Wow, I didn't think anyone would have finished that fast!" She said and snorted in delight.

Axyl gave her a small smile. She was pushed to the side when another student wanted to hand Specs their test. Axyl turned and glared at the student for pushing her. The student backed away slowly after handing Specs her paper.

"I didn't hear an apology," Axyl said harshly, still looking at the girl.

"S-So sorry, Axyl," The girl muttered, trying to get away as fast as she could.

Axyl sighed then looked back at Specs who was shocked from what just happened. The only people she had seen do that was the Commander and Taz. Specs looked frozen so Axyl waved a hand close to her face. Specs snapped out of it and laughed.

"The Commander was right! You really are tough!" Specs said and grinned. "Not to mention smart!" She added.

Hearing that meant more to Axyl than almost anything else. She had to wait a while before the groups rotated again. Her group was now with MegaGirl.

* * *

><p>MegaGirl watched intently as the new group approached her, most of them followed behind Axyl. Axyl was particularly excited about learning from MegaGirl because she was the first robot that she ever met. If she met any other robots they would probably try to kill her. MegaGirl went on to test the students about general robotics. Most of the students were too scared and intimidated to answer any of the questions. Most of the time it was questions from MegaGirl and answers from Axyl.<p>

"Where can the safety inhibitor chip be found on an Ultra-Beam MegaGirl unit?" The robot asked as she tried to look at the other students for an answer.

They all looked like animals frozen in a spotlight. Axyl sighed as she raised her hand again.

"The inhibitor chip on an Ultra-Beam MegaGirl unit is found on the back of the collar or neck," Axyl answered. "That's what he said," She added trying to get the others involved.

_Well, that was a bit of a failure_. Axyl thought as their time ran out.

* * *

><p>The groups were on to their last rotation and Axyl's group had Taz last. This was going to be very interesting for Axyl since she looked up to Taz very much. When they arrived 3 of the boys started snickering at how short Taz was in person.<p>

"Hey! _Idiotas_! What are jou laughing at?" The Hispanic woman yelled, making the 3 jump.

"Uh...Nothing!" One of them replied but continued to laugh.

Taz reached for her knife but Axyl got to them before her.

"Didn't anyone tell you that you shouldn't make fun of someone based on their looks?" She asked.

Taz stood back and watched. Axyl continued on.

"Oh crap!" One of the three boys muttered.

"Oh crap, indeed," Axyl repeated as she walked closer to the boys.

She grabbed the one who spoke to Taz by the collar of his jacket and lifted him up from the ground. She looked at his eyes and seemed to stare deep past his eyes, like she was looking into his soul. The boy cowered and tried to pry Axyl's hands from his jacket. Taz continued to watch and a smile slowly appeared on her face.

"Now, you better un-fudge yourselves or I will rip you all in two, hamburger style not hotdog, and replace your vital organs with processed meat," She said and a low but menacing voice as she threw the boy she was holding to the ground.

He shuffled away from Axyl and scrambled to his feet. He hid behind the other two boys who also looked like they were going to pee their pants.

"Now, say sorry and beg Lieutenant Taz for her forgiveness!" She barked as the boys flinched.

They all nodded and looked over at Taz who was trying to keep herself from laughing.

"We are extremely sorry, Lieutenant Taz! Please forgive us!" They said in unison as Axyl kicked them all to their knees.

Taz stepped up next to Axyl and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll have to think about it," She replied as she slowly stopped laughing. "Ok! Back to business! All of jou _hijo de putas_ drop and give me 50!" She ordered.

Axyl did as she was told and dropped to the ground and started on her push-ups. The boys who were on their knees started doing the push-ups slowly. The other 2 girls groaned.

"Push-ups?" They complained to each other silently so that Taz couldn't hear them.

After a while they dropped to the ground too and reluctantly started their push-ups. By the time they started Axyl was almost finished. Taz watched Axyl get up and saw that she hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Not hard enough, huh? Run around this whole gym 5 times," Taz said and waited for Axyl to start running. "That goes for the rest of jou too! As soon as jou finish jour push-ups it's 5 laps around the gym!" She repeated to the remaining 5 students.

* * *

><p>From the other side of the room Up could see Axyl starting her first lap around the gym. He then looked over at Taz who was barking orders at the scared and exhausted students. He couldn't help but laugh. After all, Taz was the love of his life and anything she did made him smile. He snapped out of his thoughts when a sudden gust of wind blew past him. When he looked he realised that it was Axyl running.<p>

"She sure is something. She's going to be a great Ranger," He muttered as he went back to interviewing the rest of his group.

* * *

><p>4 laps later Axyl came back to Taz coated in a thin layer of sweat. The others in her group had just finished their push-ups and were almost half way around their first lap of the gym.<p>

"Jou sure are tough," Taz said. "And I really didn't need jour help before. I'm capable of doing those kind of things on my own," She added and sounded a little annoyed.

"Yeah, I know. I just don't like it when people take things like being near a Starship Ranger so lightly. I really look up to you guys," Axyl said and smiled.

She looked at Taz and realised that she was quite a bit taller than her. What did it matter? Size definitely didn't matter also taking into mind that Taz is one of the meanest and toughest Rangers ever. Axyl saw the expression on Taz's face. Was she _happy_? Taz never showed her happiness that easily, did she? Axyl heard Taz laughing.

"Jou, jour really something. Jou have the respect for Rangers, jou're tough, jou're smart and jou're not bad looking according to that air-head science officer," Taz said and patted her back.

_Lieutenant Taz just complimented me, right?_ Axyl was a little dazed. She was getting so much praise from all the Rangers! This was definitely the best day of her life. Their time was up as soon as the other 5 students finished their laps around the gym.

* * *

><p>"Great work everyone! The testing is over. Go back to your rooms, go eat, go have a shower. Do whatever you want. You will be sent a letter of notification at 9:30pm sharp to see if you have been accepted to train as a real Starship Ranger! Bear in mind that not everyone will have this opportunity. Alright, you are all dismissed!" The headmaster said before stepping down from the podium.<p>

Squeals and cheers were heard from the graduates as they all left the gym to go to the cafeteria, the showers, and their room. Axyl was the last one out and was a little sad that she had to leave. Just as she was leaving she was grabbed by her arm. She turned around to see who it was. To her surprise it was the Commander.

"I just wanted to say that you were definitely one of the best," He said and smiled.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate it," Axyl replied and smiled back.

She was then approached by the rest of the crew who all complimented her. Tootsie said that she was very kind-hearted when she wanted to be. Krayonder said that she was very skilled with the parts of the zapper. February said that she was definitely smarter than her in the science department but said that she wasn't as stylish as she could be. Bug said that she was very skilled in identifying different languages and dialects. Specs said that she got all the questions correct on her test and that she was very intelligent. MegaGirl said that she was very well informed about the basics of robotics and that she had never met such a smart human before, apart from her fellow Rangers and Taz said that she did exceptionally well and that she was one tough _hijo de puta_.

All of Rangers said such nice things to Axyl that it made her cry. Tears started welling up behind her eyes and she couldn't keep them from falling.

"I-I'm sorry for breaking down like this. It's just that I've never really been this...accepted before. None of my classmates liked me. I never really made any friends. But all of you, the Rangers that I look up to the most, are so nice to me," Axyl explained in between sobs.

She was comforted by the sensitive and soft side of Up, February and Specs. The others just stood around, telling her that she isn't alone.

"You, Axyl, are a worthwhile person. And do you know what you're going to do to show all your classmates wrong?" Up asked as he wiped the tears from Axyl's face.

She shook her head, sniffing as she slowly calmed down. "What?" She replied quietly.

"You're going to become the best Dead Goddamn Ranger from this Academy!" Up said and smiled.

"_Si_, and if anyone else says otherwise then just tell us and we'll be here in the blink of an eye," Taz added and put a hand on Axyl's shoulder.

"Thank you all so much," Axyl whispered.

They all laughed together and Axyl had stopped crying. This was the start of Axyl's first friendship.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Haaa! Finished chapter 3! It's longer than the other chapters but I'm really happy with this one! And I hope you all like it too! Please tell me what you think by reviewing! I'd also like to thank DaisyDoodle, Nomi and CalculusWasTough for reviewing! Love you all and thanks for your support!<strong>


	4. A Real Starship Ranger!

After Axyl had gone back to her room she started watching movies. She watched her favourite old movie 'The Karate Kid' (the good one with Jackie Chan). Just as the movie finished she heard a knock on her door. She got up and opened it but found no one there. She stepped forward to poke her head around to see if anyone had left but she heard something crumple and felt something under her boot. She lifted her foot and saw the thing that she had just stepped on. She froze on the spot as she realised what it was. In fine print was her name. She carefully picked it up and walked back into her room. She sat down on the couch and started to slowly open the envelope. She pulled out the folded piece of paper and start reading it. As she did her heart was racing and beating so hard that people outside her room could hear. As she read on, tears formed and a smile appeared. She read aloud.

"Dear Axyl Desideratus,  
>You have shown exceptional levels of intelligence, strength and spirit. You topped everyone in all the tests and made a very good impression on all of the Rangers. Commander Up has chosen you to train with him and his crew on the mother ship with other graduates from around the galaxy. You will pack all your belongings and be ready by 07:00am tomorrow morning for a briefing at my office. You will then depart from the Academy at 09:00am with the Commander and his crew. You will be trained by him and his crew especially. If you succeed in your training then you are permitted to stay there. However if you fail to meet expectations you will be brought back down to Earth.<br>Congratulations and good luck!

Regards,  
>George DeRome<br>Head Master"

And with this Axyl screamed, muffling it with her hands. She was shaking as she stared at the letter. She was finally going to be a Starship Ranger! She stood up and looked around her.

"I have to pack everything!" She muttered to herself as she opened her suitcase.

She grabbed everything that she own and shoved them into the suitcase. As she searched for more of her belongings she came across a photo of her and her family back on Earth. She used to live in London, England. In the photo was her mother, her step father and her late sister Ezador. Her sister died while she was at the Academy and she couldn't take time off to go to the funeral. She was devastated and this picture brought back unwanted memories. She held back tears; she wasn't going to cry for her sister because she made a promise. She sighed as she kissed the photo gently then slipped it into her pocket.

She tried to forget about it and continued to pack her things. She packed her remaining belongings and zipped up the bag. She sighed as she flopped on to her bed. Tomorrow was going to be her first day as a Starship Ranger. She shuffled under the covers and turned the lights off. She stayed still in her bed and slowly drifted off.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hey! Axyl, hurry up will ya?" A voice called out to her.<br>She looked around and spotted a familiar figure. She walked closer and could see clearly that it was her sister._

"_Ezador? Wha-What are you doing here? I thought you were-" She replied as she stopped herself mid-sentence.  
>Ezador just smiled. Axyl looked around and found herself up on a hill in the countryside of England. There were a couple of trees around them and a cool breeze blew. She looked back at her sister. She long black hair lifted gently against the wind. Ezador turned around and started walking, turning around and beckoning Axyl to follow her. When she tried to move she felt someone gripping her arm. She turned around and saw that it was Up and behind them was the rest of the crew.<br>"We need you Axyl! You're the best son-of-a-bitch I've ever met," He said.  
>"But my sis-" She got interrupted.<br>"But we need you!" Up pleaded.  
>Axyl covered her ears with her hands as voices of Up and her sister clashed and made a horrible noise.<em>

* * *

><p>Axyl sat up gasping and frantically looked around. A bead of sweat ran down from her forehead. She glanced at her clock. It was 5:30am. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and got up. <em>What just happened? That was a dream right?<em> She thought as she made her way to the bathroom. She leaned over the sink and turned the tap on. She cupped her hands under the running water and splashed her face with water.

"Today is the big day," She whispered to her reflection.

Axyl had a shower and got changed. She brushed her teeth and combed her damp hair. She was going to let it air dry. She picked up her bag and walked towards the door. She opened it then looked b ack. The room that she lived in for 4 years was now bare and clean. She smiled, turned off the light and walked out. She walked out into the empty hallway and looked left and right. She quietly made her way along the hallway and towards the headmaster's office. The hallways were dimly lit because everyone usually got up around 8:00am.

Axyl arrived at the headmaster's office earlier than everyone else. She hesitated before knocking on the door lightly. The door slide open and she was let in. She looked around the big office and knew that she was the first one there.

"A bit early don't you think?" The headmaster asked as he sat down at the head of the long table.

"Uh, yeah. I just woke up early," She replied as she took a seat in the middle of the long table.

She sat there a little uncomfortably in silence. But soon enough there was a knock on the door. The headmaster got up to answer it. When Axyl turned around to see who it was her mood brightened. It was the Commander and the others.

"Ah! Commander, come in please," The headmaster said and smiled as he let them all in.

They all spotted Axyl sitting by herself. Taz and Up stepped forward and took the two seats on either sides of her. Axyl was very surprised by this and smiled at both of them. The others took their seats near Axyl and across from her.

"How are ya, Axyl?" Up asked and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm good. I guess I'm little nervous too," She replied and looked at all the Rangers.

"Jou don't have to be so nervous. We're jour friends and jou're going to be a Starship Ranger like us," Taz said and leaned back in her chair.

Axyl smiled. The headmaster sat back down and waited patiently for the other graduates to arrive. The Rangers conversed and laughed with Axyl.

* * *

><p>It was 7:00am and all of the 10 graduates were seated in the headmaster's office. Everyone was having their own conversations but the biggest one was with Axyl and the Starship Rangers. The headmaster stood up and silenced everyone.<p>

"Alright, we need to get the briefing started," He said and sat back down.

The headmaster started explaining to the graduates about how it still wasn't safe even though wars aren't in play. They needed to be disciplined and obedient. He also explained that things didn't work the same as at the Academy. By 9:00am on the dot the headmaster had finished the briefing and had dismissed the graduates. Up and his crew left the room along with the graduates. Taz stayed back a bit to walk with Axyl.

"Jou excited?" Taz asked as they followed everyone towards the Starship.

"Of course I am. I've never been more excited in my life!" Axyl said cheerfully and laughed.

Taz smiled and couldn't help but laugh as well. Up noticed the laughter and looked back. He saw Taz and Axyl smiling and laughing like they had been friends for years. This made Up really happy. If Taz was happy then he was. Axyl noticed Up looking at them. She grabbed Taz's arm and sped up a bit to catch up to him.

"Hey, what are jou doing?" Taz asked as she was dragged up the hallway.

"I just wanna talk to the Commander!" Axyl said as they came to a slow walk next to Up.

"Hey guys. What's up?" Up asked and smiled.

"I just wanted to talk to you," Axyl said and smiled back.

"Why thank you, Axyl," Up beamed.

He looked over at Taz who looked a little annoyed. He switched places with Axyl so that he was walking next to Taz.

"What's up, Taz?" He asked as he leaned his elbow against her shoulder.

"Nothing. I just can't wait to get back to the gym at the Starship," She replied.

Axyl walked up ahead down the rest of the hallway to the entrance of the pick-up Starship. She stopped right in front of the doors and Up and Taz bumped into the back of her, which caused a chain reaction to the rest of the crew and graduates.

"We're here. I'm finally going!" She said as Up walked past her to open the hatch.

* * *

><p>Once everyone was on board Up closed the hatch. Axyl looked around a little concerned. She walked up to the Commander.<p>

"Hey, Commander, do you know where our luggage is?" She asked.

The graduates around her mumbled and asked themselves the same question. Up raised his hand to silence them.

"Don't worry. All of your luggage has been put safely in the cargo, so you don't need to be concerned," Up explained and smiled.

"Thanks, Up," Axyl said and smiled back.

Once everyone was seated Up went to the captain's room and started the Starship. All of the graduates jumped as the start of the Starship's engine roared. The ship left the dock and its course was set to the mothership of the G.L.E.E. The graduates were now free to roam the ship. In a matter of time cycles they would be at the mothership.

* * *

><p>When they arrived at the mothership they all sat back down and waited for the ship to dock. Once the Starship's engine stopped everyone got up. Axyl waited for Up to open the hatch. He did so and waited for everyone to go out before he did himself. Taz turned around to everyone and caught their attention.<p>

"Ok, _idiotas_, we are now on the mothership! Follow us and don't stray away from the group. Can jou all do that?" Taz yelled out.

All the graduates nodded and Up lead them into the grand hall. Everything was set up for a ceremony. In the hall chairs were set up on stage, seats were set up on the ground level for the audience, a podium placed for the speaker and a table of certificates for the new Rangers.

"Alright everyone, in about two hours you will be attending this ceremony. This is where you will all become Starship Rangers," Up explained.

"But first we will show jou jour rooms! Jou have room mates, two in a room." Taz added.

"Ok, you three will go with Specs to the upper east wing," Up said and pointed to the three closest graduates.

Specs stepped forward and led them out of the hall and towards their rooms.

"You four will go with Krayonder to the upper west wing," Up pointed to the four furthest graduates from him.

Krayonder pushed them all out the door and led them to their rooms.

"You two will go with Bug to the lower east wing," Up pointed to the two graduates in front of him.

Bug headed out the door and the graduates scurried behind him.

"And you, Axyl, will be coming with us. Since you showed so much potential I think that you can handle the next level up," Up said and smiled.

He patted her back. Axyl looked a little confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Taz laughed to herself and walked up next to her. "It means that jour going to skip a level. Jou'll still need training but that's what we're here for," She explained.

Up headed out of the hall with the other Rangers and Axyl closely behind him. He went a different way from the other Rangers towards what seemed to be the older Ranger's area.

"Uh, where are we going, sir?" Axyl asked as they passed other older Rangers.

They all looked at Axyl strangely as if she didn't belong. She looked down at the ground as she walked. Up stopped in front of a door much bigger than the ones that you would find at the Academy.

"To your room. Since you're skipping a level of training then you will have to stay in a different room," Up explained as he put in the code for her room.

"Cool," Axyl muttered as the door slide open.

"Ok, well, our rooms are just down that hall and to the right. If you need anything then don't hesitate to call for us," He said as he started walking down the hallway.

"Yes, if anyone starts to pick on jou, come and call me," Taz said as she followed Up.

February, Tootsie and MegaGirl soon followed after saying goodbye to Axyl. She waved as they disappeared around the corner. She sighed as she walked into her new room.

* * *

><p>The first thing that she noticed when she walked in was that the room was much bigger than her old one back at the Academy. She loved it. The second thing she noticed was that her suitcase was at the bottom end of her bed.<p>

"So, they were delivered here?" She asked herself.

She walked over to the bag and started unpacking. As she looked around while putting things in their proper places she noticed a little circular thing on her bedside table. She was very curious to know what it was. There was a little note next to it. It read:

"This here is a holographic message device. You will use this to send and receive messages. Push the button at the bottom of the device to bring up your inbox and outbox. This operates like a touch screen but there is no screen. You can get your fellow Ranger's emails by asking them for it. Experiment with it and you'll know how to use it in no time!"

Axyl decided to test it out later. She finished packing things away and flopped on to her bed. She looked over at her clock and saw that she had been unpacking for just under half an hour. She still had over an hour till the ceremony. Maybe she'll take a little nap before she went. She set the alarm to go off before the ceremony started. And as soon as she rested her head on the pillow she nodded off.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Yay! Chapter 4 is finished. I actually kinda struggled with writing this one but hopefully you all like it! :D Keep reading and reviewing! Stay tuned!<strong>


	5. The Ceremony

Almost an hour later the alarm clock on Axyl's new bedside table cried out. With a grumble and a moan she lifted her hand up and smacked it down on the snooze button. She sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes. She felt a little groggy but she knew that she needed to be ready soon. She rushed into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She stared into the mirror, at her own reflection, for a few moments taking in her appearance. She needed to change. She shuffled out of the bathroom and rummaged around her dresser to find the best looking uniform she could find. She always had the same types of clothes; black singlet, long camouflage pants and her Starship Ranger jacket. She got herself changed and quickly walked back into the bathroom to see how she looked. Black and orange streaked, wavy hair messily bunched up in a ponytail didn't always suit Axyl. She pulled the hair tie out of her hair and gave her hair a few quick brushes with her comb. As she made her way out of her room she began to tie her hair back up in a neater ponytail. How long did she have until the ceremony started? She bolted back down the way she came only an hour earlier.

* * *

><p>Axyl sighed with relief as she arrived at the hall as other Rangers and her fellow graduates were entering. She got swept up in the crowd and followed the other graduates to the front rows of seats. She as slowly walked down to the front seats she looked up at the stage and saw Commander Up and the others taking their seats. Up spotted her and gave her a smile. She returned it and sat down. The room echoed with sounds of Rangers chatting, laughing and having a good time. Axyl remained silent and waited for the ceremony to begin. You wouldn't notice that she was anxious and nervous from the outside but inside she was practically jumping off the walls. She learned how to keep a straight face at anything; she needed to especially when she found out her sister had died.<p>

"Alright everyone, calm down!" A man boomed over the microphone. "My name is Professor Lysander Grizwald and I am current head of the G.L.E.E. The ceremony will begin now!"

Everyone's voices gradually got lower and lower until they could hear a pin drop. The man nodded and then began the long speech about how being a Starship Ranger was a great thing, which Axyl agreed to, and the history of the greatest Starship Rangers. No doubt Up's name was mentioned very often and every time his name was called he nodded, Axyl noticed. Axyl pretended to be interested in the speech but she just wanted time to go faster so that she could finally become a Starship Ranger!

"Without further ado I'd like to call to the stage our new graduates from the Starship Academy!" Professor Grizwald said and smiled as he motioned for the graduates to come up on stage.

Axyl, along with the 9 others, walked up on stage. Axyl felt many pairs of eyes following her as she walked. It wasn't something that she was used to. She ignored them and stopped as she reached the stage. She looked ahead of her and then behind her. She was the last one in the line. What did she care? She was going to be a dead God damn Starship Ranger! Axyl waited patiently as the nine other graduates names were called out. They got a handshake from Grizwald and received their certificate from Up.

"And finally, Axyl Desideratus," Professor Grizwald said as Axyl walked up to him.

She saw him extend his hand and she took it, gripping firmly. They shook for no more than a couple of seconds before she went on to Commander Up. He was holding the piece of paper and smiling at her. Axyl looked behind him at the rest of the crew. They were all smiling too. Up held his hand out for her to shake and she happily took it. She gripped hard than she did with Grizwald which surprise Up. He let out a small laugh as they shook hands. They both let go and Up handed the certificate to her. She smiled as she joined her fellow Starship Rangers who were standing on the other side of the stage.

"It's great to have such wonderful new Rangers!" Grizwald said and everyone applauded.

The newly appointed Rangers left the stage and went back to their seats. Axyl was overjoyed but she looked nothing more than content. No one really knew how Axyl's emotions and how her brain worked. When she was out in public she compressed them but when she was alone she let it all out.

"This concludes the ceremony today. Thank you all for attending, you may now return to your daily routines," The Professor said as everyone did so.

All of the Rangers filed out of the grand hall going back to what they were doing. Up and his crew took their time and Axyl, as usual, was the last out. She looked down at her certificate and read it to herself.

"This certificate signifies that Axyl Desideratus is now a certified Starship Ranger.

Signed by

_Professor Lysander Grizwald_

Head of the G.L.E.E"

Axyl smiled as she made her way to her room. She needed to put this in her room; hand it up, frame it, do whatever! Put it on a pedestal if she could be bothered!

* * *

><p>Once she reached her room, Axyl punched in the code and the door slide open. She walked in and instantly looked around for somewhere to put this certificate. She spotted her vanity table which seemed to be lacking decorations.<p>

"Perfect," She said to herself as she walked over to it.

She looked at her reflection in the vanity mirror. _Why was it called a vanity table?_ She thought to herself. This was something Axyl would never figure out for herself. Maybe February would know. She is _all_ about that kind of stuff. Axyl dismissed the thoughts and focussed back on her certificate. She couldn't possibly let it sit on the surface. Maybe it could hang above the mirror. She looked up above the mirror and smiled

"This seems to be a good spot. I'll have to frame it and get a hook too," She muttered to herself as she set the certificate down on the surface of the table.

She looked at her reflection again and smiled. _You're a Starship Ranger now..._She mouthed to herself. She laughed and went into the bathroom to have a shower. Once she came out she changed into a pair of sweatpants and a baggy G.L.E.E shirt she found already in the closet. _Must be complimentary._ Axyl thought as she slipped the shirt over her head. She put on her boots and decided to go try out the gym. She stepped out of her room and looked around. She had no idea where she was going to go. Then she remembered what Up had said. If she needed anything then she could ask him.

"Now, where was his room again?" She asked herself as she wondered down the hall.

She remembered that he said that their rooms were off to the right. She turned right at the end of the hallway and saw more rooms. She walked past a few before stopping in front of one. The door was significantly bigger than the rest. She figured that this room would be a Commander's room. Suddenly a loud crash was heard from behind the door. This made Axyl jump. She looked at the door and noticed that for some reason the door hadn't been closed properly. She could hear muffled shouts as well. She opened the door without realising and saw that nothing was being broken or anything of the sort. There was only the Commander with his arm around someone, lying on his bed watching a movie. Axyl instantly recognised the movie; The Karate Kid (The good one with Jackie Chan!). Upon hearing the door open both heads whipped around to see what was going on.

"Axyl? What're you doing here?" Up asked as he sat up straighter.

Axyl was frozen on the spot. She looked at the other person in the bed. She sighed with relief when she saw that it was Taz. This sight was enough to give Axyl a very confused and surprised expression, something that didn't happen often.

"Answer the Commander," Taz said as she sat up too.

Axyl hesitated before answering.

"Uh...I just came here to ask where the gym was. I wanted to see how it was compared to the Academy's..." She muttered and started trailing off.

Up paused the movie and took his arm from around Taz. He hauled himself out of the bed and smiled at Axyl.

"Oh! Ok then. I suppose I should show you everything as well. I'll just show you the gym for today," He replied and looked back at Taz. "I won't be long,"

"No, no. It's ok. I'd like to show Axyl the gym too," Taz said as she shuffled out of the bed.

Axyl smiled then looked back at the t.v. "The Karate Kid?" She asked.

Up nodded. "The good one with Jackie Chan!" He beamed.

"That's my favourite one!" Axyl said happily and laughed.

Taz smiled. "Great. Now that we have established that we all like The Karate Kid we should go to the gym," She started for the door.

Up nodded again and followed her. Axyl walked to the door and was the last one out.

* * *

><p>Axyl noted the hallways Up and Taz walked down and past certain rooms like the sick bay and the cafeteria. Axyl was still remembering where they came from when she bumped into the back of Up. He had stopped in front of large double doors.<p>

"This here is the gym. Taz and I are usually found here during most hours of the day," Up explained as he stepped forward.

The doors slide open and Axyl followed the two other Rangers in. She could see that other Rangers were working out and training; by themselves or with others. Some of the training Rangers looked at the three who had just entered but continued their training. Axyl looked around at all the equipment, the tracks and the rings that were in the room. It was like her eyes sparkled as she took it all in. Up saw this and laughed. He patted her on the back and pushed her forward.

"Go on. Try something out!" Up said cheerfully.

Axyl looked back at Up and Taz and smiled before rushing off to the punching bags. Another person was at the punching bags. He was much taller than Axyl but a little bit shorter than Up. He was definitely bulkier than Axyl and from what she could see he could pack a mean punch. She ignored him for now and threw her first punch at the new punching bag. Her punch was hard and it swung the punching bag up high. She side-stepped as it came swinging back. She looked over at Up and Taz who were watching her. They smiled and she smiled back.

"Time to show off my skills," She muttered to herself as she grabbed the punching bag and held it still.

* * *

><p>She stood back as she readied herself to do a roundhouse kick. Up raised a brow and watched with his arms crossed along his chest. Taz seemed interested too. Axyl took a little run-up before lifting her leg up high and roundhouse kicking the punching bag. The force was so hard that the chain it was hanging from was hanging by half a link. The young man who was using the punching bag next to her stared at Axyl like she was a monster or something. Up and Taz both looked shocked.<p>

"Uh...Did I do something wrong?" Axyl asked shyly as she stepped back from the punching bag and sheepishly shuffled her feet.

"Did you do something wrong? That was far from wrong! That was amazing!" Up said; his face still surprised.

"What? R-Really?" She asked. "B-But I nearly broke it!" She stammered.

"Hah! I break these things all the time!" Taz said as she walked up to Axyl and put an arm around her shoulders.

Axyl laughed nervously.

"Looks like I was right when I told Professor Grizwald that you'd do well if you skipped a level," Up said and held his arms out to give her a hug.

Axyl stood there staring stupidly at Up, wondering what he was doing. Taz nudged her with her elbow.

"Jou are supposed to hug him," Taz said to Axyl.

"What? Really? Up gives hugs?" Axyl asked.

Taz simply nodded. Axyl then had a little flashback to earlier that afternoon when she saw Up and Taz in the bed watching The Karate Kid.

"Alright," Axyl said and stepped forward into Up's arms.

His arms were much stronger than they looked. He wrapped his arms around her. Axyl felt completely safe in his arms. Everyone in the room turned to look at the two. Axyl could hear some muttering between people. She felt a little uncomfortable with everyone staring at them but she couldn't move. Those few seconds that Up was hugging her felt like hours. When Up finally let her go Axyl heard more clearly what the other Rangers were talking about.

"Is Up cheating on Taz?" She heard. "It not weird that he hugs people, but a new Ranger? Doesn't he only hug Taz though?" Another said.

She shot glares at everyone who seemed like they were talking. They all instantly shut up. She looked over at Taz who was glaring at people too.

"Those _idiotas_...They don't know anything..." Taz muttered.

Up was completely oblivious to the chatter and gossip.

"Figures..." Axyl whispered to herself. "Well, if there is nothing wrong I'm going to continue," She said as she faced the punching bag again.

This time she was a little embarrassed and angry. She threw a few hard punches and one final roundhouse kick. With that the punching bag chain snapped and dropped to the floor with a loud _thump_. Everyone's attention was brought back at Axyl again.

"Oh shit..." She muttered under her breath.

She knew that her first few days were going to be a little tough.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Sorry this took a little long! I was being lazy (as usual XD). Anyways! Hopefully you all like this! Tell me what you think of it by reviewing. If there is anything that I'd need to improve on please don't hesitate to tell me! Thank you all for reading! Stay tuned!<strong>


	6. A Bit Of A Stalker

The day after the ceremony everything was going smoothly. The new Rangers just started classes. Since Axyl had skipped a level she had to make new acquaintances, because she never really made any friends. Classes started 8:00am sharp. She sat in the classroom towards the back to draw less attention to her. Everyone except her was talking. She looked around her and saw different people. A small group of girls in the front were chatting away with their red lipped mouths moving so fast that Axyl couldn't tell what they were saying. There was a larger group of boys scattered across the room who were laughing obnoxiously loudly. Axyl had to cover her ears to try and block out the sound but it didn't work.

"Why couldn't I just be alone?" She muttered to herself and sighed.

She looked around again and noticed some of the boys over to the right glancing at her. She ignored it for now and looked down at her desk. The door slide open and a teacher walked in. Everyone quietened and returned to their seats.

"Good morning everyone! My name is Mr. Slade and I'll be your teacher for this morning class," He said as he wrote his name on the board behind him.

Some of the boys started snickering and started scrunching up pieces of paper. When Mr. Slade wasn't looking they'd chuck them over at other people and aiming for the back of Mr. Slade's head. As soon as he turned around the boys played it cool, pretending that they were paying attention. Mr. Slade narrowed his eyes at the suspects and turned back to the board.

"Oi," Axyl heard someone whisper. "Oi! Oi, oi, oi!" She heard the same person whispering the same thing over and over again.

She looked over at the person with a death stare.

"What do you want?" She mouthed, obviously annoyed.

The boy grinned and glanced back at his friends for a second. They all laughed quietly to themselves.

"I want to talk to you after class," The boy mouthed back.

Axyl rolled her eyes. _What is he thinking?_ She thought as she started writing the notes down that had been written on the board. She looked over back at the boy; he was pretending to pay attention. She noticed that he was the same boy from yesterday at the gym who had looked at her weirdly for almost breaking the punching bag.

Mr. Slade was going on and on about the history of the Starship Rangers and how the G.L.E.E came to be.

* * *

><p>After a long 2 hours of history and other things that Axyl wasn't paying attention to the bell rang loud and clear. Everyone sighed with relief as they all rushed out of the room.<p>

"Have a good break!" Mr. Slade called out after the Rangers.

Axyl got up and walked out of the room. She was the last one out as usual. As she walked out of the door she spotted the boy leaning on the wall across from the classroom. He was smiling.

"Hey, can I talk to you now?" He asked.

"Well, you are the one who asked me in the first place, so yeah I guess," She said as she started walking down the hallway.

"Wait up!" He called out to her as he caught up.

"Talk to me while we're walking," She said as she kept her eyes forward.

"Ok," He said. "First off I want to introduce myself. My name is Rasputin, but everyone calls me Raz," He said as he held his hand out for Axyl to shake.

She looked at his hand for a moment before briefly shaking it.

"Cool. I'm Axyl," She said as they turned a corner.

"Yeah, I know. Pretty much everyone knows you," Raz said and laughed.

Axyl raised a brow. She was a little baffled at what Raz had said. _Everyone knows me? How?_ She thought as she turned a corner. She was on her way to the cafeteria to grab something to eat.

"How do you know?" She asked as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Well, I was there when you completely beat that punching back with just a few punches and kicks. Everyone else in the gym started telling other people about you," Raz explained.

He looked a little too happy and that irked Axyl a lot.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the cafeteria and the double doors slide open. They walked in with all eyes on them. Axyl sighed as she made her way to the food. She grabbed a tray and placed some food on it. Raz did the same but piled on more food. Axyl walked over to an empty table with eyes following their every move.<p>

"Well, this is a little awkward," Raz muttered as he sat down next to Axyl.

Axyl looked at him strangely. She gave him a look saying 'what-are-you-doing?' He just smiled and started eating.

"Um, what do you think you're doing?" She asked bluntly as she started picking at her food.

"I'm eating?" He replied with a mouth full of food.

Axyl looked disgusted. Anyone who spoke with their mouths full of food instantly irritated her.

"No, I mean what are you doing sitting here with me?" She asked as she pierced a carrot with her fork and placed it in her mouth.

"I was just guessing that you'd need someone to sit with," He replied as he shovelled more food into his mouth.

Axyl rolled her eyes. _Why am I stuck with this bastard?_ She asked herself as she continued to eat her food.

"I don't need anyone to sit with," She muttered after swallowing a mouthful of food.

"Sure doesn't look like it," Raz said and laughed to himself.

He was ploughing through his pile of food. Axyl stood up and took her tray with her. Raz watched her leave.

"Hey! Where are you going?" He called out to her.

She dumped the remaining food down the chute and left the tray in the pile. She looked back at Raz who was standing and ready to catch up to her.

"Anywhere where you're not. So don't follow me, you creep," She said with a bored expression and left the room.

Hanging around Raz for less than 5 minutes annoyed Axyl more than she thought. She didn't think that anyone could tick her off as much as he did. She walked down the hallway rather hastily and bumped into countless people along the way. She headed for her room but just as she was about to put in the code to her room she stopped. She had a little angry built up and decided to go to the gym.

"I should probably change if I want to go to the gym," She whispered to herself.

She put in the code and the doors slid open. She quickly looked at her clock before heading for her closet. She still had about 10 minutes until the next class. She rummaged through the clothes and picked out the same G.L.E.E shirt that she had before and threw on another pair of tracksuit pants. She walked out of her room and walked over to the gym.

* * *

><p>Axyl arrived at the gym and saw that it was empty. Relief filled her mind as she walked in. She looked around at all the equipment. The punching bag that had been destroyed only yesterday was replaced by a new one. She decided to let the punching bags live for today and headed to the tracks. She positioned herself at the starting line.<p>

"3. 2. 1. Go!" She said to herself as she bolted from the starting line.

She ran hard and fast. Running like she was running away from all her anger and all the people she didn't like. By her fifth lap around the 200m track she was huffing and puffing. A small beat of sweat dripped down her forehead and down her cheek. She kept running. What she didn't know was that Taz was watching. Taz was watching because this was usually the time she and Up would come to the gym. She stayed outside to observe Axyl and let her have some alone time.

Axyl slowed down as she neared the finish line and came to a halt. She was breathing harder now through her mouth. She calmed herself down and started breathing through her nose. This was something that her father told her to do whenever she was exercising. As thoughts of her father came in so did thoughts of her sister.

_Axyl, you know you can't run away from a few minor problems. You need to be strong, be tough. To coin a phrase, be a man. Be that young man that our parents never had! And be the best Starship Ranger you can be. Do it for mum, for dad...For me..._

Ezador's voice cooed through Axyl's head. She looked around and thought that someone was actually talking to her. She started tearing up.

"But...What if I can't be the best Starship Ranger? What if I can't be the man our parents never had?" Axyl asked to the air with a shaky voice.

Every time she was reminded of her sister she'd get so emotional. Taz was still watching, seeing that even people like her could break down at the smallest things. Taz would only ever break down at one thing.

"Up..." Taz whispered.

Taz opened the doors and walked in.

* * *

><p>Axyl heard someone come into the gym. Her first thoughts were that it might be Raz but when she looked she exhaled deeply. It was only Taz. She started wiping her eyes and sniffling, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't cry in front of Taz. It would make her think she was just another little weak girl.<p>

"What's wrong, _chica_?" Taz asked in an unusually soft voice.

Axyl was caught by surprise.

"Nothing. Just running..." She muttered.

"That doesn't look like nothing to me," Taz replied.

Axyl laughed nervously and rubbed her eyes.

"Jou want to talk about it?" Taz asked as she put her arm around her shoulders.

"Well, if you're here then I guess I can tell you..." Axyl said as Taz led her to one of the benches.

The two sat in silence for a moment before Axyl started talking.

"While I was at the Academy...My younger sister died down on Earth. I couldn't go to her funeral because I was in the middle of my important training. I was going to be the best Ranger I could. And all these years after her death I feel so horrible for not being there. I don't even know why she died," She explained.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, when I was fifteen I had my _Quinceañera_ and everyone who was there was killed by those dead God damn robots. I was the only survivor. But even then I had a little help from Up," Taz said and patted Axyl's shoulder.

"Now I feel like an idiot because I'm complaining about the loss of my sister while you lost your whole family and friends," She said and sighed.

She held her head in her hands. Taz rubbed her back and stayed silent. Axyl sat back up and faced Taz.

"I'm also a little pissed off at the moment too. One of the guys in my class is getting a little too friendly. He only loomed around me for 5 minutes and he started acting like he was my best friend," Axyl complained.

Taz frowned. She was going to have to set this boy straight.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of that hijo de puta for jou," She said as she clenched her fist and started pounding her other hand.

"No, it's ok Taz. I'll have to deal with him myself. I can't have people standing up for me all the time," Axyl said and put her hand on top of Taz's.

Suddenly the doors slid open and out came a person who had tripped over. He fell face flat on the ground and got up almost instantly. Axyl recognised this person and stood up.

"What are you doing here?" She asked angrily. "I thought I told you not to follow me!" She was yelling now.

"I take it this is the guy jou were talking about?" Taz asked as she stood up too.

Raz stepped back when Taz got up.

"Heh, I'm sorry! I just wanted to apologise but the Lieutenant was already with you so I decided to hang back a bit before coming in," He explained.

"Do you know what doing that is called?" Axyl asked sharply.

Raz shook his head, scared of both Axyl and Taz who was now glaring at him.

"It's called stalking! Now stop it and leave me alone!" Axyl shouted as she stormed out of the gym.

She pushed Raz violently out of her way. He fell to the ground once more face flat. This time when he got up he noticed that his nose was bleeding.

"Ah!" He let out a little gasp. "My nose! It's bleeding!" He exclaimed.

"What did jou do to her, jou idiota?" Taz asked as she walked up to the boy and grabbed him by the collar.

"N-Nothing! I swear!" He replied, stuttering.

"It better be nothing otherwise I'll have to pound jour head in!" She spat as she let go of his collar and walked past him.

"This just isn't my day. I lost a bet and got beat up..." Raz said to himself as he walked out of the gym.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Yet another chapter I struggled to write! But it's done! Yay! Hopefully you all like this chapter! Please tell me what you think by reviewing! Next chapter will be up soon-ish! Love you all! (less than three~) Thanks to everyone who reviewed too! Stay tuned!<strong>


	7. Just An Awkward Bromance

Axyl sighed as she walked up to the classroom for the morning. She was dreading having to face Raz again but she forced her legs to walk her into the room. She walked past everyone up to the back where she sat. She slumped in her chair and sighed as she looked around. Raz wasn't here. Axyl's mood instantly got better. That was until she saw Raz walk in. She slumped even lower into her chair. Raz didn't take any notice of her and of that she was thankful.

"Oh my Dead God..." Axyl muttered under her breath as she hauled herself upright in her chair.

Just as she did that a man walked into the room. Some of the Rangers hissed 'yes' quietly, thankful that they had this person for a teacher. _What's so good about him?_ She thought as she watched him writing his name on the board behind him.

"Morning everyone!" The man said in an unusually cheerful voice. "As some of you may know my name is Professor Fumblemore! I'll be your teacher for weaponry class!" He said with a broad smile.

Axyl rolled her eyes at his annoyingly happy attitude. As she rolled her eyes they set on Raz who was looking at her. She turned her face to him and threw a glare. He didn't look away.

"Oh great. He just doesn't know when to stop, does he?" She whispered to herself.

When Professor Fumblemore wasn't looking, Raz seat hopped over next to Axyl. She tried her best to ignore him but his presence irked her. She couldn't focus on what Fumblemore was talking about. She turned to him and gave him another glare. He still didn't budge.

"What the hell is your problem?" Axyl whispered harshly.

"Nothing, why?" Raz asked, completely oblivious to Axyl's anger.

"I thought I told you to stop stalking me," She spat as she turned to face the board.

"What? I thought that was just a joke!" He replied stupidly.

Axyl face palmed and tried harder to ignore him. She could hear other students whispering to each other and glancing back at Axyl and her stalker. She couldn't stand it anymore. She turned to him as her eyes narrowed and her brows furrowed.

"Just leave me alone!" She yelled out loud as she slapped Raz hard on his cheek.

Everyone gasped as they turned around and stared at the two. Fumblemore stopped and turned around too.

"Excuse me! Do not interrupt the class! That is inappropriate behaviour! Now march yourself out of this room young lady!" Fumblemore said as he pointed towards the door.

Axyl watched Raz as she walked out of the room. Some of the boys 'oohed' and looked at Raz.

"Ugh, that bastard. I'll kill him!" She said aloud when she exited the room.

She heard the door behind her open and out came Fumblemore.

"What's your name?" He asked as the door closed behind him.

"Axyl Desideratus, sir," Axyl replied and sighed.

"Well, Axyl, please come see me after class. My office is just down that hall and the last door on the left," He explained. "Please stay here for the remainder of the lesson," He walked back into the classroom.

Axyl grumbled as she punched the wall. She didn't want to stay here for the rest of the lesson. There was still an hour left. She peeked in through the window on the door and saw that Fumblemore was very busy. She sneaked down the hallway and towards the only place where she felt at home, apart from her room, the gym.

* * *

><p>As she walked down the empty hallways she thought about yesterday when she encountered Raz in the gym after her little girl talk with Taz. If he'd burst through the room before she told Taz that she should handle it herself, Taz would have ripped him to millions of tiny pieces. While she was thinking she found the gym. She walked in and found Taz and Up sparring in the ring over the far side. For Axyl this was a perfect opportunity to learn. She walked over to the ring and sat down at the bench.<p>

"Ha! I got jou again!" Taz yelled as she pinned Up to the ground.

Up laughed as he pushed Taz from on top of him. Taz smiled as she grabbed her towel and started wiping her sweat drenched face. Up did the same but as he grabbed his towel he spotted Axyl.

"Hey there, Axyl!" He said and smiled.

Up realised that something was a little off. He put the towel around his neck and climbed out of the ring. Taz waited a little longer before she climbed out of the ring herself. She knew that something was wrong too.

"Wait, aren't you supposed to be in class right now?" Up asked as he walked over to where Axyl was sitting.

The younger Ranger nodded and laughed nervously.

"Well, it's a funny story," She started as she rubbed the back of her neck.

She explained to the two about how she yelled in the middle of class and slapped Raz. Up looked a little shocked and Taz clenched her fists.

"That _hijo de puta_ is going to be sorry he ever met jou," She said as she headed for the door.

"No, Taz! It's alright. I just have to see my teacher after class. I was supposed to stay outside the classroom but I got bored..." She said and sighed.

"Gee, Axyl. This must really suck for you," Up said as he sat down next to her.

Taz sat on the other side of Axyl and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, just a little bit. I don't know, he just annoys me so much. It's unbelievable!" Axyl said and leaned back against the wall behind them.

"How about we come with you to the teacher and tell him all about this? If that still doesn't work then we'll have to get a restraining order or something," Up said and smiled.

Axyl smiled back.

"Yeah, or if the restraining order doesn't work I could beat him to a pulp and he'll go crying to his mommy like a little chilly!" Taz said getting a little too into it.

"As I said before, Taz, I don't think beating him up will do any good. Restraining orders might be good though," Axyl said as she put her hand on Taz's shoulder.

Up stood from his seat and looked down at Axyl.

"Since we still have some time why don't we help you with your combat skills?" He suggested as he climbed back into the ring.

Axyl's face lit up. This was one of her dreams! To fight with Commander Up! She was so happy at that moment. She followed Up into the ring and Taz stayed seated.

"Let's see what you got!" Up said as he started circling Axyl around the ring.

"O-Ok then. Try not to mess me up too badly," She said and laughed as she started circling Up.

Up made the first attack but Axyl dodged it swiftly. She faked a punch to his head then aimed a punch to the stomach. Up raised his hands to his head for a millisecond before putting them back down to protect his stomach. But he was a millisecond too slow. Axyl's punch was surprisingly painful. It reminded him a little of when Taz was younger.

"Oh dead God are you ok?" Axyl asked really concerned.

She didn't want to hurt one of the people she idolised. He laughed as he straightened up, looking like he'd never been punched. She could hear Taz laughing too.

"Don't worry about me. I'd worry more about myself if I were you," He said before he crouched down and sweep kicked Axyl.

This made her trip and fall hard on her side. She definitely didn't expect that. A flash of pain was seen on her face and Up's softer side took over.

"I'm sorry, Axyl. Here," He said as he held his hand out for her to take.

Axyl reached for his hand and gripped it tightly. As soon as she had a hold of his hand she pulled hard and brought him down next to her, face flat on the ground. She pulled herself up and laughed.

"Not bad, Ranger," Up said as he got to his feet.

Axyl smiled and so did Up. Taz climbed into the ring and pushed Up out.

"My turn," Taz said as she readied herself to fight.

The fighting and sparring went on for the rest of the lesson. Axyl had managed to pin Taz down for a second before she was thrown off. Axyl watched Taz and Up sparring again, each showing off their own special moves.

* * *

><p>The bell rang for the end of the class and the three Rangers in the gym could hear the stomping of feet in the hallways and the sound of happy and cheerful people going about their business.<p>

"I better get going. Hopefully Professor Fumblemore didn't notice that I wasn't there..." Axyl said as she jumped down from the ring.

She walked out the door and headed for Professor Fumblemore's office. Taz and Up looked at each other before climbing out of the ring and following Axyl.

They rushed out and caught up to Axyl. The three walked in silence as they approached the office. Axyl stopped in front of the door and looked at both Taz and Up.

"Do any of you know Professor Fumblemore?" She asked hoping for the answer she wanted.

Unfortunately both of them shook their heads. Axyl sighed before knocking lightly on the door. _No answer_. She knocked on the door again a little louder. _No answer_. She looked behind her at the two Rangers and shrugged. She opened the door and stepped in with Taz and Up behind her. When she realised what she was looking at she found herself frozen and unable to move. Taz was frozen too, her face had a mixed look of horror and confusion. Up just stood there feeling and looking dumbfounded.

There was Fumblemore with his back to the three Rangers and in front of him was (to Axyl's shock) Professor Grizwald! They didn't seem to take any notice of the people who had just entered the office. Axyl's eyes widened when she realised what they were doing. _Were they _kissing_ each other?_ She thought. It certainly seemed like it to her. Their arms were wrapped around each other and their heads looked close enough to each other for a kiss.

Up was the first to regain his mobility and he grabbed Taz and Axyl's collars. He slowly and quietly backed out of the office. When they exited the room Taz was able to move again and same with Axyl.

"What. The. Hell. Just. Happened?" Axyl finally said after a long and slightly awkward silence.

"I...I don't know but...I think I need to disinfect my eyes," She heard Taz say.

Up just burst into laughter. He was soon joined by Axyl who was now leaned on Taz for support. The Mexican woman tried her best to keep herself from laughing.

"Well, good luck with your talk. I don't think I could stand it if I were in there. But seriously, Grizwald? What is he thinking?" Up said as he pushed Axyl back into the room.

* * *

><p>Axyl found herself staring at the two men she had just seen earlier making out. They were standing side by side, looking at Axyl with smiles on their faces.<p>

"Hello Axyl!" Fumblemore said cheerfully. "What brings you here?"

He seemed to have forgotten about leaving her outside of the classroom because of her inappropriate behaviour.

"Uh well, you called me here after class because of what I did..." Axyl replied.

"Oh, yes! Right, well, I just wanted to talk to you about it. Please take a seat," He said as he motioned for her to sit on the chair in front of his desk. "Now, please tell me why you did what you did,"

Axyl started to explain the whole thing about Raz and how he was a stalker. Then she went on about him annoying her and then finally about why she slapped him and yelled during class. All the while, Fumblemore nodded and listened intently.

"Well," He finally spoke. "I understand a little better now but have you talked to him about why he's following you?" He asked.

"Uh, not really. He's just so annoying!" Axyl said.

_This sounds more like a counselling session._ She thought and rolled her eyes.

"Ok then, next time he does start to annoy you bring him here and we'll sort this out," Fumblemore said as he dismissed Axyl.

"Yeah, thanks Fumblemore," She said as she stood up and walked out of the office.

* * *

><p>When she left the room she found Up still laughing, hunched over Taz who was still trying to keep her cool.<p>

"How'd it go?" Up asked when he finally calmed down.

"I don't even know...It looked like a bit of bromance going on there," She replied as she started walking off.

"Are you sure that wasn't a homosexual relationship?" Up called after her.

Axyl stopp and looked back, giving Up a weird look. Taz and Up walked and slowly caught up to Axyl. They continued walking. Up rested a hand on Axyl's shoulder. She seemed a little tense.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

When she turned to him he instantly started laughing. This was because she was quietly laughing to herself too. Taz looked strangely at the two who were now leaning against each other. She then realised what they were laughing about again and covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing. They continued down the hall and Taz stopped them. They were standing in front of the infirmary.

"Why'd we stop?" Up asked between chuckles.

"I just need to get something," Taz said as she walked in.

Axyl walked in too with a very heavy Up leaning on her. When they all walked in they saw Krayonder getting patched up by Specs. He had bandages on his hands and there was a plate of steaming double-choc chip cookies sitting on the table next to him.

"What happened here?" Axyl asked.

"Krayonder cut his fingers while using the cookie cutters," Specs announced as she lifted his hands up.

Krayonder's face started turning red. Specs reached over him and grabbed a cookie. She took a bite out of it then smiled.

"Not bad Krayonder," She said before eating the rest of it.

"A cookie cutter?" Axyl asked. "How the hell do you cut yourself using a cookie cutter?"

"Don't ask me. Hell, it's Krayonder. What'd you expect?" Specs replied.

"Hey! Why are you guys in here anyway?" Krayonder asked trying to change the subject.

"I just needed some disinfectant for my eyes," Taz said as she stepped forward.

Specs and Krayonder both looked at her strangely before Specs passed her the disinfectant.

"Are you seriously going to use that on your eyes?" Krayonder asked.

"_Si_, what's it to you?" Taz snarled.

Up put his hands on her shoulders and drew her back.

"Now, now, Taz. We don't wanna hurt Krayonder now, do we?" He asked.

Taz sighed and gave up. But while Up wasn't looking she shot a menacing glare at Krayonder.

"Since we've got your disinfectant can we go now?" Axyl asked Taz.

Taz seemed to be lost in her thoughts. Axyl waved a hand in front of her face. Up led her out of the room but before they walked past the door Taz stopped.

"Wait, I shotgun the first cookie," She said surprisingly.

Everyone looked shocked for a moment before Taz took a cookie. She then walked back to Up and Axyl and nodded.

"We can go now," She said as she walked out of the infirmary.

"What happened to Taz?" Krayonder asked Specs as the other two left.

"I'm not too sure. Better not dwell on that unless you want another knife to the back," She said and laughed.

Axyl and Up stared at Taz while she ate the cookie. It wasn't until a minute that Taz noticed this. She looked back at them weirdly.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing. It's just that well, you'd never take a cookie from anyone," Up said.

"Yet, she just did," Axyl added.

Unknown to both Rangers, one of Taz's guilty pleasures was double-choc chip cookies.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Phew! Chapter 7 done! Woohoo! Anyways! Hopefully you all like this chapter. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think! Also, a double-choc chip cookie goes to the people who spot the 2 references from Little White Lie (By Starkid) and Shadow Of Israphel (By TheYogsCast) :D Thanks again to everyone who reviewed and I love you all for the great comments! Stay tuned!<strong>


	8. Getting Beat Up Sucks

It had been a week since the little incident with Professor Grizwald and Professor Fumblemore. And for the past week Axyl had been working hard in her classes. Thankfully Raz got the message and stopped bothering her. He said something about a bet the other day when he was talking to his friends. _What was it about?_ The question floated around in her mind for a while as she was on her way to lunch. As she walked through the almost packed hallways she was bumped a few times by passing Rangers. But just as she approached the doors to the cafeteria she was pushed violently to the ground by someone. She looked up to see who it was but all she saw was a head with dark brown hair on it enter the cafeteria. She groaned as she pulled herself up from the ground.

"Who the hell did that?" She asked herself as she stood in front of the cafeteria doors.

Did she really want to go in and face the person who had just pushed her to the ground? No. She turned on her heel and walked off. She wasn't going to go to the gym today. She had sparred and practiced with Up the other day until they both nearly collapsed from exhaustion. She decided to explore the Starship. She walked down the labyrinth of hallways and stair cases until she came across a room she had never seen before. She read the words above the door.

"Nature Garden?" Axyl thought aloud.

Why would they need a Nature Garden on a Starship? Was it because it reminded the Rangers of what Earth was like before what the Robots did during the war? Whatever this room was used for didn't matter to Axyl. She let the doors slide open and stepped inside. When she stepped in she felt a light breeze run through her hair and she could smell something other than stiff air that the Starship generated. She was pleasantly surprised by this.

"This place is...beautiful..." She whispered to herself as she looked around the room which seemed to go on for miles.

It looked completely different from the rest of the ship. Instead of dull, grey walls and silver doors this place had different shades of luscious green and more colour than Axyl had seen in 8 years. The sky above her was the brightest blue she had ever seen it be and the sun in the corner of her eye shone rays of warmth down on her. This was what Earth was like before those Robots took over. Axyl's mind was at peace.

"Why didn't I find this before?" She asked herself as she sat down underneath a tall tree.

Axyl felt the grass under her hands. It was soft and so relaxing. But she wondered if this was all just fake; if it was all like a simulator. She leaned back against the tree and took in her surroundings. She had never been this relaxed since she was on earth. Axyl took a deep breath in and closed her eyes briefly. But she was so comfortable that she didn't realised herself falling asleep.

* * *

><p>When Axyl woke up she tried to stretch but found herself restricted by ropes. Her eyes shot open as she looked down at where the rope had been tied around her stomach. She noticed that her hands had been bound behind the tree, forcing her arms in an uncomfortable twisted position. When she tried to move her feet she found them tied up too. And when she attempted to scream she could only hear muffled squeaks coming from her mouth. There was some sort of material in her mouth that was tied around the back. <em>What the hell is going on?<em> She thought as she struggled to get out of the ropes. It was no use. Axyl then heard a laugh, a familiar voice. She looked up and saw that same brown hair, that oh-so-familiar face that annoyed her so much.

"Waz!" Axyl couldn't pronounce the name right since the material was in her mouth.

Raz looked down at her and smiled. He had two other who were standing behind him. Raz walked a little bit closer to Axyl and bend down so that they were eye level with each other. Axyl tried glaring but as usual is didn't work.

"I knew following you wasn't hard. Pushing you over wasn't that hard either. For someone who says she's tough in reality you're actually pretty weak," He spat as he grabbed a handful of Axyl's wavy, black and orange hair.

He gripped the hair and pulled on it hard. Axyl winced and she could feel tears forming at the back of her eyes. She knew that there was something bad about this guy. She tried not to move.

"Do you know why I was being so nice to you?" Raz asked, breaking Axyl away from her thoughts.

He loosened his grip on her hair. She shook her head 'no'. Raz laughed slightly evilly.

"I was betting with some other guys that in the next 2 weeks or less I could get in your pants. I didn't know how stubborn and aggressive you were so I thought it was going to be easy. But evidently not, and because of this I lost the bet," Raz explained.

Axyl have him a disgusted look. _Using me for a bet? And to get in my pants? Who do these guys think they are?_ She thought to herself.

"You're going to have to pay for making me lose my bet," He said as he backed away a little. "But don't worry, I won't try to get into your pants. Those sorts of things need development and trust,"

Axyl was slightly relieved at what he said but also a little anxious. _What's he going to do to me?_ She thought. But before she could register what Raz was doing she took a punch to the stomach. She coughed into the material, which muffled the sound, and leaned forward but because her arms were tied around the back of the tree she straightened up. She looked up at Raz again and saw him smiling. The other two boys behind him were smirking.

"If you tell anyone about this then we'll come back while you sleep and do the exact same thing," She heard him say before he high kicked her face.

Axyl's head turned to the right as she was kicked in the face. She had never received this much abuse in her life. The pain was all new to her. She could feel a warm liquid drip down her nose, over her dry lips and soak into the material. _I'm bleeding? Why would he do this? All because of a stupid bet? It doesn't make any sense at all!_ She thought as she sustained more punches and kicks. She knew how strong Raz was back when she first saw him in the gym on her second day on the Starship.

"What are you going to do about this?" Raz mocked as he continued to beat Axyl to a pulp.

Axyl didn't try to resist. She was just going to wait it out even if that meant having to put up with this for the next few hours. But in a matter of minutes she was on the brink of unconsciousness. Her eyes were drooping, she was covered in blood and her whole body felt numb. With Raz pummelling her without being able to fight back, for once she felt feeble and weak. And with that last little thought in her head, Axyl fell unconscious.

* * *

><p>"Is she ok?" Axyl heard a low, gruff voice say.<p>

She tried opening her eyes but her eye lids felt too heavy. She slipped back into unconsciousness.

"We found her tied up to a tree and some _hijo de putas_ had beaten her up," An accented voice made its way into Axyl's ears.

She tried again to open her eyes. She could see a bright white light and her eyelashes in the way of some figures standing around her.

"Well, just give her some time to recover. She'll be right as rain soon. Feel free to drop by and visit her," An unfamiliar voice said and was followed by many footsteps.

Axyl tried moving but couldn't really feel anything. She drifted off again.

* * *

><p>Axyl fully woke up and was able to open her eyes. She looked around her and saw that she was in the hospital wing of the Starship. She attempted to pull herself up into a seated position but found her arms too weak to do so. She heard some footsteps getting louder and louder. The doors opened and in came a nurse. The nurse spotted and looked a little surprised to see Axyl awake.<p>

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake Miss. Desideratus," She said and smiled warmly.

She picked up a remote and pushed a button. The head of Axyl's bed slowly rose so that she was sitting.

"You were slipping in and out of unconsciousness for the past 5 days. Commander Up, Lieutenant Taz, Bug, February, Krayonder, Specs, Tootsie and even MegaGirl came to visit you almost every day," The nurse explained.

Axyl was shocked to hear that she had been unconscious for 5 days and surprised to hear that all of the Rangers whom she respected came to visit her.

"You definitely look better than you did a few days ago. I can't imagine how much pain you were put through. Who did this to you? Do you know?" The nurse asked.

Axyl thought for a bit. "Sorry, I don't know," She lied.

She knew exactly who did this to her. She tried to climb out of her bed but the pain in her ribs stopped her before the nurse could.

"Oh, please don't move or get out of the bed! Your injuries were pretty serious. A few broken ribs, a broken nose, some internal bleeding, cuts and bruises, rope burns, the works!" The nurse said as she eased Axyl back down into the bed.

Axyl's stomach dropped when she heard what she had gone through. "Really? All that happened to me?" She asked.

The nurse nodded. "It took me and the doctor most of the day the Commander and the Lieutenant brought you here. It's lucky they even found you. No one would have ever thought to look in the Nature Garden," The nurse started rushing about, looking at charts and reading reports.

Axyl's stomach growled and she tried to quieten it. The nurse looked at her and smiled.

"You must be hungry. I'll be back with some food," She said as she left the room.

Axyl sighed as the nurse left. How could she even let her guard down for a second? She mentally scolded herself for being so weak.

* * *

><p>She heard someone walk into the room. <em>That was quick of her to get me food.<em> Axyl thought before actually looking at the person who entered. She smiled when she realised who it was.

"How're ya doing, Axyl?" Axyl recognised that Alabaman accent anywhere.

"I'm doing better than I was before," She said and laughed weakly.

"That's good to hear," Up replied as he sat in the seat next to Axyl's bed.

He put his hand gently on her shoulder and smiled at her.

"So, did you and the crew really visit me every day?" Axyl asked as she looked down at her hands which were fiddling with the thin white sheets.

"Of course! We were all so worried for you, well except MegaGirl because she doesn't really have that emotion," Up said. "I can't believe we let something like that happen to you," His eyes downcast.

"It's not your fault. It's my own fault, really. I let my guard down and I didn't anticipate anyone coming in after me," Axyl said and sighed.

"Do you know who did this to you?" He asked, concerned.

"...Y-...N-No..." She muttered as she leaned back against the soft pillows.

Up raised a brow when Axyl stumbled on the word. _Was she going to say yes?_ He thought to himself. He decided to leave it be for now.

"Well, just get some rest and I'll come by to visit you later," Up said as he stood up.

"Ok, thanks for coming," Axyl said as she watched Up leave.

Before he passed through the doorway he turned to her and saluted. This brought a smile to Axyl's face but she wiped off once the nurse came back in with a tray of food. She set it down on the table next to Axyl's bed.

"Please, eat up. But if you can't eat that much then don't force yourself," The nurse said before Axyl started eating.

Axyl thought of when Raz was beating her up. Most of it was a blurred memory but some parts were loud and clear. _No matter what you say, Raz, I'm going to get you back for all of this._ She thought and frowned.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Aw yeah! Chapter 8 done :D Sorry for not updating yesterday! I was busy with an assignment! ^^" Anyways! Please tell me what you think by reviewing :P Thank you to everyone who reviewed and a very big thank you to Nomi for writing a little side story of Professor Grizwald and Professor Fumblemore! (If you haven't read it then I recommend reading it!) Stay tuned!<strong>


	9. Losing My Toughness And Losing Hope

The hospital room was dull, plain and empty. Even though Axyl had visitors earlier that day she couldn't help but feel lonely when they left. She had only woken up in the morning and was told that she had to stay in the hospital wing for at least another 4 days. So she was trapped here for another 4 days. She could handle it. Well, that's what she thought at first. Without being able to get out of the bed irritated Axyl a lot. By this time she'd be in the gym practicing with Up and Taz. The only thing she could do now was walk around the room without the nurse knowing and rushing her back into the bed.

"This sucks and it's all because of..._him_..." She hissed under her breath as she frowned.

She looked down at her chest and stomach and saw that they had been bandaged all the way around her torso.

"How much damage did he really do?" She asked herself as she started gingerly pushing the places where her ribs were.

She winced every time she touched them. She felt around her stomach and found spots were it hurt the most. She recalled the nurse saying that she also had some internal bleeding. Raz really messed her up. Axyl paused for a bit to listen if the nurse was outside and slid out of her bed. Even the slightest movement pained her but she persisted. She had been in bed for the past 5 days and standing was a little harsh on her legs. She gripped the bed next to her for support.

"It's like being a baby all over again..." She muttered to herself as she felt her weak legs wobbling and shaking.

Axyl sighed as she slowly and carefully let go of the bed to see how well she could balance. For a moment she stood still but when she tried to move her legs to walk she toppled over. The impact of the fall was excruciating and Axyl howled from the pain from her ribcage and her legs. In the same time it took her to fall over the nurse was in the room and standing next to Axyl. She shook her head and sighed.

"You really mustn't leave your bed Axyl! You can, and already have, caused yourself more pain!" The nurse said as she carefully pulled Axyl up and led her back into her bed.

Axyl groaned as she crawled back into the bed. She hated being confined. Everything to Axyl seemed hopeless and meaningless now. If she couldn't get back up even when she was injured then she wasn't strong enough and she never would be again. The nurse asked her if she was ok and gave Axyl some pain killers.

"Make sure you don't leave your bed, ok?" The nurse said as she left the room.

Axyl sighed and covered her face with her hands. She just faced the facts that she would have to wait until her injuries were fully healed. Moving as little as possible seemed easier now that she had given up on almost everything. The window next to her bed didn't help at all. Out of the window was just the black void of space; there was also the occasional twinkle of a star. Axyl turned her head so that it was resting on the pillow and her eyelids became heavy. Soon her eyes closed and she was sent to a place where she could do anything she wanted, go anywhere she wanted and be with whomever she wanted.

* * *

><p>"<em>Axyl,<em>" Axyl suddenly woke up and attempted to sit up but was stopped by her stomach and ribs.

She looked around alarmed and saw that no one was there. She sighed as she felt sweat roll down her cheek. She leaned back against the pillow and noticed that it was damp. She brought her hands up to her face and her messy black and orange hair. Both were damp with cool sweat.

"What was that? Who called my name?" She asked herself as she slowly sat herself up, trying not to hurt herself.

She looked around her again and still saw nothing of interest. Axyl sighed inwardly as she reached for the remote to make her bed lift up. She pushed the button and the head of the bed slowly rose. Once it stopped moving Axyl leaned back against it. She felt a slight stinging sensation on her wrists. She raised them so she could see them. The area where the rope had been tightly bound was a significantly darker colour than her original skin colour. She rubbed them gently and winced. She sighed as she dropped her head backwards on to the pillow.

"I really am pathetic," She mumbled. "But it's all Raz's fault! He was the reason why I'm like this! And I'm going to make him pay. I...I'll so something to him. I don't know what but I will do something!" She said and slumped into the bed.

Axyl heard the doors open and in came the nurse.

"Oh! You're awake. How are you feeling, Axyl?" She asked as she walked up with a tray of food.

Axyl shrugged as she unconsciously rubbed her wrists. The nurse looked down at them.

"Oh dear, your rope burns. Your wrists were tied up so tightly that the circulation was getting cut off. That nasty rope also left a terrible mark on your wrists," She said as she took Axyl's hands and lightly ran her fingers over the marks.

Axyl winced a little at the nurse's touch. The nurse instantly took her hands away at her reaction.

"I'll just get some cream for that," She said as she started rummaging about the room, looking for some cream.

She came back to Axyl's side with a white and red tube. She popped the cap open and squeezed the contents out on her hands. She rubbed her hands together and gestured for Axyl to raise her wrists.

"This might sting a little but just bear with it," The nurse said as she started rubbing Axyl's wrists.

Axyl's face contorted into one of pain and almost torture. She didn't make a sound though.

"Might sting a little? That hurt like Dead God damn Hell!" Axyl complained as she leaned back and tried to take her mind off the pain.

The nurse apologised and put the cream away. She turned Axyl to face the wall next to her bed, her back to the door, and started checking up on the rest of her body. She unravelled the bandages around Axyl's chest and stomach and went to find more bandages, leaving Axyl's chest exposed.

* * *

><p>A few moments later while the nurse was searching for the bandages someone walked through the door. Since her back was to the door she didn't bother covering her chest up. She just sat there, waiting for the nurse to come back with the new bandages.<p>

"Aren't you going to cover up?" The familiar voice asked her.

Axyl craned her neck over her shoulder to see who the visitor was. It was Up. Axyl shrugged before facing the wall again. She honestly couldn't care less now. If she hadn't been injured, Axyl instantly could have covered up. But since she was injured and she was in the hospital wing she didn't seem like herself.

"Is something wrong? What happened?" Up asked as he stayed where he was near the door.

"Nothing..." Axyl replied as she waited patiently for the nurse return with the bandages.

"You don't really seem like your old self..." Up said as he took a step closer towards her. "Please cover up. I wanna talk to you face-to-face," His voice seemed serious with a hint of concern.

Axyl sighed as she pulled the white sheets over her torso. She turned to face Up. He nodded and walked up to the bed.

"Happy now?" Axyl asked as she sat cross-legged, trying not to slouch, otherwise it would hurt her ribs and the bruises on her torso.

"A little," Up said as he sat on the edge of her bed.

He looked at her, how pale she looked, how...weak she looked. For some reason it reminded him of when he first met Taz at her _Quinceañera_. The two Rangers sighed at the same time.

"Why did you come here? Didn't you already visit?" She asked.

"Yeah, I just wanted to check up on you. Actually, the nurse said that you had been thrashing about in your sleep. I guess I wanted to find out why," Up said and a small, weak smile appeared on his face.

Axyl didn't smile. "Well, how would I know?" Her tone was dull and half-arsed.

"I don't know. Well, do you remember who did this to you?" He asked.

Up was being persistent. Should I tell him? Or should I deal with Raz myself? She mulled it over for a bit before answering Up.

"No, sorry. It's still pretty fuzzy and blurry," She lied a second time to him.

Up sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I didn't expect much, anyway," He said before getting up.

Axyl fiddled with the sheets around her shoulders. What was taking the nurse so long to find new bandages? Axyl felt a little uncomfortable with Up hanging around.

"Hey-"

"Did you-"

The two spoke at the same time.

"You can go first," Axyl said as she listened to what Up had to say.

"Oh, uh, I just wanted to ask if you wanted to watch The Karate Kid with me and Taz later, when you're feeling better," Up said and laughed.

Axyl thought about it. "Maybe, I'll think about it," She smiled back.

Finally the nurse came in with new bandages. She saw Up and smiled.

"Hello, Up. Back for another visit?" She asked as she made her way over to Axyl who was now back in the same position she was before Up had come in.

Axyl faced the wall and let the sheet fall from her body. The nurse looked a little alarmed, looking back from Axyl to Up. She then set her eyes on Up who was now going a little red.

"Would you mind leaving? You can come back in when she's all bandaged up," The nurse said as she pushed a flustered Up out of the room.

* * *

><p>Axyl waited for the nurse to come back and wrap the new bandages around her torso. The nurse got Axyl to hold the beginning of the bandage while she started wrapping the material around Axyl's body. Round and round and round. It took quite a lot of bandage to wrap Axyl up properly but when the nurse was done she exhaled.<p>

"Phew! All done! I'll just tell the Commander that he can come back in here now," She said as she left the room.

Axyl just sat there motionless for a while. The only thing moving her was her breathing. Her chest felt a little constricted by the bandages but she just took slow deep breaths. She thought of when she first came here. She was friends with the Commander and his crew, she skipped a level of training and then she became an official Starship Ranger. So much happened that day like when she broke the punching bag. She was strong then. When she was sparring with Up and Taz she felt stronger than she did before. But now, she was sitting on this bed, with multiple injuries that needed healing. She had been beat up by the most annoying person in the whole world. He definitely didn't seem like that kind of person. The more she thought about how she let her guard down, the more she felt like she wasn't tough. She was losing hope in herself, losing self respect.

"I'm a wreck..." She whispered to herself.

The doors opened and the nurse's head popped in. "I'm sorry but it seems the Commander left after I led him out. Maybe he'll come back later," She said and smiled.

"No, it's ok," Axyl said and smiled weakly back.

The nurse nodded as she left the room. Axyl was left there, all alone again. She crawled under the sheets and was just lying there, like she was waiting to die. She was sinking into the pit of depression. She turned on her side and saw the tray of food sitting on the table. She knew that she needed to eat but didn't feel like it. She turned over so that her back was facing the tray.

"How long am I going to feel like this?" She asked herself as tears prickled the back of her eyes.

She stayed silent as tears rolled down her cheeks. She hated this, she didn't want to be weak, and she didn't want to have these stupid injuries. She just wanted to be put out of her misery but she couldn't bear to do it herself.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Chapter 9 done! This chapter took me a while to finish because I had a few distractions (Mainly Bloons Tower Defence 4 ^^"). But I managed to finish it! Hopefully you all like this chapter. Yes, this has a little depression and a little bit of sadness. Thanks to everyone who has stayed and read thus far! I love you all and if I could I would hug you all! Anyways! Please tell me what you think by reviewing! Stayed tuned!<strong>


	10. Getting Back Up And Learning To Walk

**This chapter is dedicated to my new friend here on FanFiction DaisyDoodle! Hope you like it!**

Three days later Axyl was sitting up in her bed as the nurse placed a tray of food on her lap. You wouldn't have really recognised Axyl at a glance but if you looked a second time you would definitely see. Over the past week Axyl's injuries were getting better but her overall health was depleting. Her usually slightly tanned skin was now a ghostly pale colour. There were dark rings around her emerald green eyes and she looked noticeably thinner. She hadn't been eating properly, she couldn't get up to exercise, and she couldn't do anything. Every day the nurse would beg Axyl to eat just a little bit, but it never worked. Sometimes the nurse had to resort to force feeding her which ended terribly. So there Axyl sat, in her bed with a tray of food on her lap with the nurse begging her again to eat.

"I'm not hungry..." Axyl said as she pushed the tray off to the side of her bed.

The nurse decided not to fight with her this time and set the tray on the side table. She gave Axyl a concerned look.

"Even though your injuries are getting better, your health is getting worse. This isn't healthy," She said as she put a hand on one of Axyl's pale cheeks.

Axyl sighed as she pulled the nurse's arm away from her face. The nurse shook her head as she left the room. The empty room seemed larger to Axyl but she was used to it. Over the past few days Axyl learned to adapt to the loneliness and she thought that it was better than being with other people. While she was deep in thought the doors opened.

* * *

><p>The sound of the doors opening snapped Axyl out of her thoughts as she faced the doors. Axyl's eye sight was also getting progressively worse so she couldn't make out who had entered. She could only see that there was more than one person.<p>

"How're you doing Axyl?" Asked that all too familiar voice.

"What do you think, Up?" Axyl asked as she rubbed her eyes to see if she could clear her vision.

"From the looks of things you, honestly, look terrible," Up said as he walked over to her bed.

A few other figures followed him. As they came closer she recognised who they were. Taz, Bug, February, MegaGirl, Tootsie, Specs and Krayonder; they were all here. Axyl let out a small laugh at what Up had said. It was true after all.

"Well, at least jour getting out of this _agujero estúpido_ tomorrow," Taz said as she walked up next to Up.

Axyl nodded as she closed her eyes and rested her head on the pillow behind her. All of the Rangers seemed to be looking at her, expecting her to explain something.

Finally February broke the silence. "I can't stand this anymore! Axyl, are you sure you don't know who did this to you?" She blurted.

Axyl opened one eye to look at the science officer. She lifted her head up and looked at everyone individually before looking back at February. They were all looking at her and she felt like she was being judged by each and every one of them. She sighed.

"Fine, you know...I knew all this time, the person who did it. I just didn't want to tell you because I wanted to handle it myself," Axyl explained as she looked down at the sheets that covered her lower body.

February and Tootsie gasped while Specs and Bug stayed silent but had a shocked look on their faces.

"WOOOAAAAHHHH!" Krayonder yelled as he lifted his arms up in that idiotic way.

"I knew it. My lie detection function had been a little off for the past few days and I was not sure if it was functioning properly," MegaGirl stated with a smug smile on her face.

Up and Taz shook their heads and Up sighed.

"Why? Why didn't you tell us?" He asked, looking a little hurt.

Axyl rolled her eyes. "Because I wanted to handle this myself but three days ago when you visited, Up, that whole day I felt worthless, weak and I just...I don't even know any more. After you left I just felt like I couldn't be strong and tough any more. I pushed myself into a state of depression and I felt like I wanted to just lie here and die. And over the past couple of days I worked on dying. I felt like complete shit," She explained as she started tearing up and her voice started to break.

February felt bad for her and gave her a hug. And soon everyone joined in for a big group hug, even MegaGirl. Axyl couldn't stop herself from crying now; the tears rushed past her eyes and fell down from her cheeks on to the sheets below her. Up rubbed Axyl's back while Bug tried to calm her down.

"Shhh, ok Axyl. You're not worthless or weak. Don't ever give up. When I was on Bug World before I met Up and the others I could only dream about being a Starship Ranger. But I worked hard and I had to say 'no' to the status quo! And soon enough I met these awesome guys and became a Starhip Ranger!" Bug told her as he wiped the tears from her face.

"And when I lost my entire right side of my body I thought I was weak because I had to get my right side reconstructed with robot parts! No to mention that I also lost my balls...But! I just got back up! And from that, from Bug, I learned how to kill...With my heart," Up explained as he put a hand on his shoulder.

The group hug broke away but the Starship Rangers stood around the bed, looking at Axyl.

"Now it's your turn to get back up!" Tootsie said and smiled.

Axyl smiled weakly back. She thought about how weak she was acting over the past few days and sighed.

* * *

><p>"Well, I guess it is my turn..." She said. "But it doesn't help that I've been here for 8 days, most of them in unconsciousness. I couldn't get up to exercise and when I tried to get up and walk I just toppled over and hurt myself more," Axyl said and sighed.<p>

"Well, it can't hurt to try now, can it _chica_?" Taz asked.

Axyl looked up at Taz then the rest of the crew and smiled. She threw the sheets off of herself and shuffled over to the left edge of the bed. Everyone on the left moved out of the way and let Axyl through. She put her bare foot on the cold tiled floor and brought the other one down with it. It felt so weird to have her feet on something solid like the ground. She pushed herself off the bed but help on to it for support. Even with the support her legs still shook and wobbled. Axyl let go of the bed and tried to find her balance. She stood still with her arms out to her sides. She noticed that everyone was looking at her.

"Go on, try and walk," Up watched intently.

Axyl nodded as she slowly lifted one foot off the floor. She started to wobble and found herself falling, just like three days ago, but this time she didn't hit the floor. When she realised what happened she looked up at who had caught her. It was Up.

"Oh Dead God...Thanks..." Axyl said and sighed.

"No problem. If you ever fall we'll be here to catch you. That's what friends do," Up said and smiled.

Axyl looked at the others who nodded, agreeing to what Up said.

"Now, are you going to tell us who did this to you?" Bug asked.

Up placed Axyl on the edge of the bed and stepped back. She sighed and nodded.

"Alright...But do you all promise to let me handle it myself?" She asked.

The Rangers looked at each other and nodded back at her.

"I'm not convinced. You all have to make an unbreakable vow not to tell on or do anything to the person, ok?" She asked as she spat on her hand and held it out for them to shake.

They seemed to think it over. After a few seconds they all spat on their hands, and claw, and held it out to shake with Axyl's. They all individually shook hands with the young girl. The last person to shake hands with her was Up. They shook hands but Axyl gripped on tighter.

"And you have to be my slave for a whole day!" She said quickly before letting go.

Up's jaw dropped. Everyone else laughed, including Axyl.

"Oh my Dead God! You got me! This is the second time that's happened to me!" Up said and started laughing.

"There are so many things I'm going to have you do for me! First you'll tape all the episodes of Man vs. Space Wild! And you also have to carry me around everywhere!" Axyl said with a cheeky grin on her face.

Up sighed and nodded. Taz patted his back, still laughing. Krayonder was rolling around on the floor while Specs was watching and laughing along, Bug and February were leaning against each other, Tootsie was looking at MegaGirl who was laughing with her robotic voice. Looking at all these Rangers, Axyl remembered why she needed to live, why she needed to be tough. She wanted to become a Starship Ranger _because_ of these individuals.

* * *

><p>Everyone started to calm down and Axyl remembered that she still had to tell them who beat her up.<p>

"Ok, I'll tell you now..." Axyl said and looked down at her feet. "The person who did all this to me was Rasputin. That jerk and two others caught me off guard in the Nature Garden..." She didn't look up.

Taz's eyes narrowed and clenched her hands into fists.

"That _hijo de puta_ is gonna get it!" She growled but Axyl butted in.

"No, I'm going to do it myself. I'm going to get even with him. I don't know how, I don't know when, but I'm going to do it," Axyl said as she sighed.

"Well, as long as you're feeling better. I know! We can help you get back into shape!" Up said and smiled.

"Jeah, jou'll need to get back into shape if jou're going to get even with that _idiota_," Taz said as she punched Axyl lightly on the shoulder.

Axyl nodded as she tried to get up again. She kept her hands on the edge of the bed for support. As she was doing this the nurse came in.

"Oh, hello everyone!" She said cheerfully and gave them all warm smiles.

The nurse looked around the room and spotted Axyl out of her bed.

"No, no, no! You still have to stay in your bed Axyl. I know you get out tomorrow but you must stay in bed!" She exclaimed.

"Oh come on! I've been cooped up in here for the past 8 days! Can't I at least learn how to walk again?" Axyl asked, still clinging on to the bed.

"Yeah, just let her learn how to walk. It's fine, we'll make sure that she won't get hurt," Up said and put a hand on the nurse's shoulder.

The nurse thought about it for a few moments. Up was very reliable and wouldn't let anyone get hurt if he could help it.

"Oh, alright, but she can't leave the room for too long, ok?" The nurse said and gave them all stern looks. "I'll just go get some crutches for Axyl to use,"

"Yes, ma'am!" Everyone said in unison and smiled.

And with that the nurse left the room. Axyl found herself smiling, the most she'd been smiling since 8 days ago.

"Thank you so much, everyone," She said and gestured for everyone to come to her.

Axyl pulled everyone into another big group hug. She was really happy now, she felt like she was worth something. She was going to get even with Raz and she was going to enjoy every second of it.

* * *

><p>Axyl let go of the bed and stood up straight. She lifted her foot up and instantly reached for whoever's arm was nearest to her. She had grabbed on to Specs and held on to her for dear life. Specs stumbled a bit from the sudden weight put on her but she regained her balance and supported Axyl properly.<p>

"Sorry, Specs," Axyl said and sighed.

"It's quite alright, Axyl. It's what we're here for," Specs replied as she pushed her round glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Here, I'll take her," Up said as Axyl was passed to Up.

"Oh, that's right! You still have to carry me around whenever I want for the day!" Axyl said and laughed.

"But you need to practice walking," Up retorted.

Axyl sighed. "Fine..." She muttered.

Again the nurse came into the room but this time with a pair of crutches. She walked over to Axyl and handed her the crutches.

"Do you know how to use these?" The nurse asked.

"I'm pretty sure I know how to use them," Axyl replied as she grabbed a hold of the crutches.

She placed the top padded parts under her arms and held on to the bars in the middle of the supports.

"Ok, usually we'd give these to people who have a broken leg or a sprained ankle but this'll help you get back into walking," The nurse said. "Try it out,"

Axyl nodded as she placed the crutches in front of her and stepped forward. It definitely helped her a lot. She didn't stumble or fall over.

"This is great!" Bug said and smiled.

"Oh my Dead God, this is like so awesome!" February added as she hugged Bug.

"Well, have fun. Don't be gone too long now," The nurse said as she left.

Axyl turned to all of them and smiled.

"Thanks for doing this for me," She said and smiled wider.

"No problem! Anything for a friend!" Tootsie said and beamed.

Everyone headed out of the room.

"So, where do jou want to go Axyl?" Taz asked as they started walking down the hallway.

Axyl thought for a moment before answering.

"I want to go to the Nature Garden," She said as she started walking towards the Nature Garden.

Everyone looked at each other and shrugged.

"To the Nature Garden, then," Up said as the rest of them followed Axyl.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Yay! Chapter 10! I still can't believe that I've written this much for my story! Anyways! I really hope that you all like this chapter! Please tell me what you think by reviewing! Thanks to everyone who reads my story and a very big thank you to DaisyDoodle! :D Love you all! Stay Tuned!<strong>


	11. I Need A Special Person?

**This chapter is dedicated to a very good friend, person I know, Nomi :P Hope you like this one :D**

* * *

><p>Axyl had stopped in front of the door with the words 'Nature Garden' above it. She looked behind her and saw that the Rangers were close behind. She stood there for a moment in silence before letting the door slide open. Like the first time she entered, Axyl felt a cool gust of wind pass her skin and it blew through her hair. The others felt the wind too but not as much. A small smile played upon Axyl's face as she slowly made her way into the Nature Garden. She was followed by the crew.<p>

"I've been in here a couple of times but that was when it was still under construction," Axyl heard Up saying as he walked past her, taking in his surroundings. "And of course when we found you the other day,"

"I've never noticed this room before. When was it built?" Specs asked as she walked over to Up.

"Not too long ago. I think they finished building it a few days before Axyl's incident," He said, still unsure if that was when they finished building it.

"I see, well, all I know is that I love this place!" Bug said as he took February's hand in his claw.

February giggled as they skipped off through the small meadow of flowers. Axyl couldn't help but smile at the unusual yet perfect couple. Axyl found it a little challenging to walk through the grassy area with the crutches but she tried her best to stay balanced and not trip or stumble. Over to her right was where the tree she had been sleeping under those few days ago. Unwanted memories of the excruciating torture she had been put through soon filled Axyl's mind. She tried her best not to think about them and made her way to the tree to sit down. She placed the crutches against the tree's trunk as she put her back up against the tree, slowly and gently lowering herself down to a sitting position.

"This is such a lovely, peaceful place. How could anyone ever do something like that in here?" Axyl asked herself, not really caring about what happened to her.

Another cool breeze rustled the leaves on the branches hanging above her, shaking loose some of the green leaves. Axyl watched as one leaf drifted down towards her and landed lightly on her lap. She smiled and looked up. She saw that Tootsie had picked some of the prettiest flowers and had offered them to his robot wife. MegaGirl laughed in that strange metallic voice of hers and gratefully accepted them.

"How sweet," Axyl whispered to herself.

She looked around once more to find Krayonder and Specs sitting side by side, whispering things and giggling to themselves. Axyl giggled herself as she sat up straighter, looking for the last two people who had entered with her. The remaining two Rangers were standing in front of each other. They seemed to be the furthest away from the rest of them. Axyl strained to see what they were doing. Up was taking advantage of Taz's lightened mood and had the small Hispanic girl in his arms.

"Even those two seem to be having a nice time in each other's company..." Axyl muttered under her breath.

* * *

><p>Axyl leaned her head against the hard bark of the tree and sighed. The young Ranger thought that she was happy, that she was in absolute bliss by just being what she wanted to be; a Starship Ranger. Yes, she was happy but she felt like there was something missing. She looked around her once more, seeing February and Bug kissing, Krayonder and Specs doing the same, Tootsie being carried by MegaGirl and Up and Taz just standing near each other.<p>

"What's missing? Why don't I feel complete?" Axyl asked herself as she started picking at the grass at her sides.

As she did that she began to think of the bad things that came with being a Ranger. Raz had messed her up badly. She gripped the grass tightly, if it was anything like an animal it would have suffocated. She ripped the grass she was holding rather violently and her expression changed from passive to pissed off. Bug saw this and got up, February calling after him before she got up to follow.

"Are you ok, Axyl?" He asked as he stood in front of her.

Axyl relaxed her hand from the fist it had been curled up into. She released the small, deformed blades of grass fall from her hand and let them be picked up by the wind. She looked up at Bug and now February who had joined him.

"Yes, I'm fine..." She said and took a deep, calming breath in.

She exhaled slowly and her expression went back to normal. As the wind continued to blow she picked up the sweet scent of the flowers surrounding them.

"Are you sure? Before you were all 'Rrrrraaaaggghhh! I'm ripping out grass!' and you didn't seem fine," February said as she imitated Axyl ripping out the grass.

Axyl rolled her eyes and sighed. She shot a quick glare at the blonde girl but it didn't seem to faze her.

"I'm fine, seriously," Axyl repeated herself.

This little conversation had attracted the attention of the other Rangers. Axyl face palmed. _Great, now I have to talk about this_. She thought and mentally hit herself. Everyone was standing around her, making her feel significantly inferior.

"Can you all sit down, please?" She asked.

They all nodded and sat down in a circle.

* * *

><p>The Rangers all sat in silence for a moment before Up broke it.<p>

"So, what's going on?" He asked as he looked from Bug to February to Axyl.

"Well, I just noticed that Axyl didn't look very happy for a moment," Bug explained as he placed a claw on Axyl's shoulder.

"Why's that?" Up asked.

"I don't know but I think I might know why," February said and smiled to herself, like she knew something that Axyl didn't.

Axyl gave her an unsure look. Specs looked at February, intrigued.

"Do tell us, Feb," She said as she leaned her head on her hands.

"Well, you know how we're all partnered up and stuff, right? Like, me and Bug, you and Krayonder, Tootsie and MegaGirl and Up and Taz. With Axyl, that makes it..." February stopped to do some quick calculations that shouldn't have taken that long. "Nine of us! And nine isn't an even number," She said matter-o-factly.

"What are you insinuating?" Axyl asked with her eyes narrowed, staring right at February.

"I don't know what that means but I'm not doing it," February replied somewhat offended.

Axyl rolled her eyes. How did this person become a science officer, let alone a Starship Ranger?

"No, Feb, insinuating means you're implying something," Specs said, trying to be helpful to the not-too-bright science officer.

"Oh, right. Then yes, I'm insinuating something," She said and smiled cheekily.

"Out with it already!" Krayonder almost yelled.

"Ok, ok! I'm saying that maybe Axyl feels lonely! That she doesn't have her own _special person_," February said and grinned.

Upon hearing the words 'special person' Axyl flinched. She looked absolutely terrified, the first time since she had been at the G.L.E.E. She could feel her cheeks burning up but she quickly hid them by burying her head in her lap.

"I do NOT need a _special person_!" Axyl's voice was muffled.

"Don't deny it, you little liar!" February sung.

Axyl was furious now. She didn't need anyone _special_. She had herself and these guys. Wasn't that enough? She could hear February, Krayonder, Specs, Tootsie and even Up snickering. MegaGirl was just smiling. Axyl's face was now completely scarlet, not that the others could see. She hated talking about these kinds of things. It was one thing that she did not want to be a part of. And besides, the only guy who ever really talked to her beat her up 8 days ago.

"Hey! Stop laughing jou _idiotas_! Can't jou see that she doesn't like it?" Taz growled.

Up immediately stopped laughing but it took a while for the others to stop. When they stopped Taz gave them all her meanest glare.

"Jou have no respect for other people's feelings! How dare jou!" Taz continued.

She got up and crouched down next to Axyl and put her arms around her shoulders. Up sighed and looked down at the ground. The group was silent. Taz lifted Axyl up and handed her the crutches. Axyl gladly took them.

"Let's leave these heartless _hijo de putas_ and let's go watch a movie," Taz said before leading Axyl out of the Nature Garden.

* * *

><p>The rest of the Rangers were left sitting under the tree.<p>

"Well, that was very unexpected," Specs said as she stood up.

The others did the same. They all felt bad for laughing and making Axyl feel uncomfortable.

"I'm going to apologise to her. You all should too," Up said as he headed out of the Nature Garden.

The only person who didn't feel bad was February. She had something planned, something going on in that little mind of hers. The others all followed Up out of the Nature Garden.

"I don't think it's a good time to go now. Maybe later, tomorrow or something. She might be angry if we go now. We'll wait until she's cooled off," Krayonder said and headed his own way. "I do not want to be stabbed by Taz again,"

"Yes, that seems like a logical thing to do. I know that if something like that happened to me I wouldn't be too happy if anyone came up to me while I was still angry," Specs said as she followed Krayonder.

Everyone went their separate ways and Up was left by himself in the hallway.

"I guess they're right," He said to himself and sighed. "I'll apologise to her tomorrow," And with that Up headed for his room.

* * *

><p>Taz and Axyl walked in silence until they came to Taz's room. The Mexican girl punched in the code and the door slid open. She let Axyl in first before going in herself.<p>

"Well, make yourself at home," Taz said as she walked over to the T.V and switched it on.

She looked around for the DVD and picked it up. She showed it to Axyl.

"The Karate Kid?" She asked.

Axyl smiled and nodded as she sat down on the couch that was facing the T.V. The DVD started playing and Taz dropped on to the couch next to Axyl. The movie started playing.

"Hey, Taz," Axyl whispered.

Taz glanced over at her before looking back at the screen. "_Si_?"

"Why did you do this? I mean, why did you defend me?" Axyl asked.

"Well, I guess I didn't want a friend to go through what happened to me," Taz whispered back.

Axyl looked at her strangely before focusing back on the movie. _This kind of stuff happened to Taz_? The thought of that happening to Taz didn't quite click in her mind. She ignored it for now and watched the movie.

* * *

><p>By the time the movie finished, Axyl and Taz were getting a bit sleepy. Axyl looked over at the clock that was sitting on Taz's bedside table. It was 3:00pm. Axyl remembered that she had to be back at the hospital wing.<p>

"Taz, I don't wanna go back to the hospital wing. I don't feel like walking anywhere..." Axyl muttered as she yawned.

"Don't worry, jou can stay here with me," Taz said as she got up and stretched.

"Are you sure? I don't want to burden you," Axyl said and stretched too.

"It's fine, really. It's better if jou stay here. Then jou won't have to deal with anyone talking to jou," Taz said gave Axyl one of her rare, sincere smiles. "I'll sleep on the couch and jou can sleep on my bed,"

Axyl smiled back and was helped up by Taz. She put most of her body weight on Taz, but it didn't seem to bother her. Taz led Axyl to the bed and pulled the covers over her.

"Thanks for doing all this. You're nothing like what people say. If they get to know you, and you let them, then they can see that you're a really great person," Axyl said as she started getting drowsy.

"_Si_, that's true, but I don't want anyone to think that I'm weak. That's why I only have a few friends," Taz said as she made her way to the couch.

She had gotten herself another blanket and hunkered down for the night. She clapped her hands and the lights switched off.

"Good night, Taz," Axyl muttered as she slowly fell asleep.

"..._Buenas noches_, Axyl," Taz whispered before she fell asleep too.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Yay! Chapter 11 is finished :D Hopefully you all like this chapter! I'll have all the action in the next chapter so look forward to that! A big thank you to Nomi who always reads my fanfic :P I love you! And thanks to everyone who reviews. And on that note, please tell me what you think by reviewing! Stay tuned!<strong>


	12. Black Bat Flower

Axyl woke up to see Taz standing over her, gently shaking her awake. Axyl rubbed her eyes before sitting up in the bed. She stretched and looked at Taz.

"Come on, jou were supposed to be back at the hospital yesterday. We need to get jou back there before they get us into some deep _mierda_," Taz said as she lifted Axyl gently out of the bed.

The crutches that Axyl was using were near the couch that Taz had been sleeping on. Taz walked over to grab them, leaving Axyl wobbling on the spot. Before Axyl could fall she quickly steadied herself by holding on to the bed. Taz came back shortly after with her crutches. Axyl gratefully took them and placed the top padded parts under her arms.

"Yeah, let's go," Axyl said as she started hobbling over to the door with Taz following closely by.

Before they left the room Axyl turned around and looked at the clock sitting on Taz's bedside table. _4:30am_. _WHAT?_ She was up this early just to go back to the hospital wing? She sighed as she continued out of the room. The hallways were dimly lit as the morning progressed. The two Rangers were roaming the hallways half blind. Occasionally Taz walked too fast, causing Axyl to walk to fast and stumble. Taz was there to hold her, luckily.

"Sorry, I'll try to be more careful," Taz whispered as they continued to walk slower.

"It's fine," Axyl replied quietly as she concentrated on walking.

Axyl still found it a little challenging to use the crutches. Her hands were gripping the bars too tightly, making them sweat and slip and tensing up all the time still hurt her healing ribs. She tried to ignore the pain and push on.

* * *

><p>Taz and Axyl finally arrived at the hospital wing, Axyl's room. Taz peeked in and saw that no one was in there. She silently gestured Axyl to go in. Axyl walked into the empty room and headed straight for the bed. Taz followed, closing the door behind her. The young Ranger literally hoped into the bed, leaving the crutches next to her bed, and covered herself with the sheets. Taz gave her a quick smile and walked out. Axyl was now alone in the room, again. She sighed as she rested her head on the pillow. Her head faced the table next to the bed and she noticed the clock. <em>4:32am<em>. Axyl took a deep breath in and closed her eyes. She was soon sleeping again and was now dreaming.

"_I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive him. I can't believe he would do such a thing," A soft voice whispered to Axyl._

_She was still lying in the bed sleeping but she could hear her surroundings. Who was talking to her? She didn't know._

"_I've brought you these. I hope you like them. But, please, please forgive him. I promise he won't ever do that again. To anyone," The voice said and then disappeared._

Axyl woke up and found the nurse standing next to the bed. She didn't seem to notice that Axyl was awake. Something had her attention. Axyl sat up and looked at what the nurse was staring at. It was a rather large vase of flowers. There were Bluebells, Alliums, Irises, Purple Hydrangeas and Cyclamen. But the one flower that stood out most was the tallest of them all and it's 'whiskers' draped over the rest of them. Axyl had only seen this flower one other time in her life when she was down on Earth. This flower was a Tacca Chantrieri, 'Black' Bat flower. The nurse ran her fingers along it's whiskers and seemed to be in awe. Axyl cleared her throat and the nurse snapped out of her thoughts. She turned to Axyl and smiled.

"I see you're awake Axyl," She said as she took a step towards her.

Axyl nodded, she was still looking at the vase of flowers.

"Oh, this?" The nurse asked as she glanced back at the flowers. "I don't know who sent these but when I came to check on you earlier this morning they were just sitting here,"

Axyl thought back to her dream. Someone had given her something, they apologised for something. She shuffled closer to the edge of the bed to get a closer look.

"That reminds me. Where were you last night, Axyl? You were supposed to be back here before 9:30. I didn't see you come back in because I was waiting in here for 2 hours!" The nurse said as she frowned at the Ranger.

Axyl slumped back into the bed and shrugged.

"I was just with Lieutenant Taz. We...We were watching a movie and I was too tired to come back here," She said and sighed.

The nurse shook her head and sighed too. She took another look at the flowers and headed for the door.

"You can go today, just be careful. And I suggest you keep those crutches," She said as she left.

Axyl nodded and watched as the nurse left. As soon as her body was out of sight, Axyl lunged towards the vase.

"Who could've brought me these?" She asked herself.

She took a closer look at all the flowers. The Black Bat flower caught most of her attention. She gently brushed the tips of her fingers against the soft petals and followed it down the whiskers. Only then did she notice a small envelope buried between the purple and blue flowers. She grabbed it and read what had been written on the front.

"_To Axyl_," She read aloud as she flipped the envelope open and pulled out the lightly coloured card.

The card had a yellow tinge to it. But on it, written in perfect cursive handwriting, was a message. She read it aloud again.

"_I'm truly sorry for what my brother has done to you. I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive his actions. Maybe one day you can let the past lay down to rest and become friends. Once I heard about what happened I personally ordered these exact flowers from Earth just for you. I know the Black Bat flower is very rare, but once I saw it, it reminded me of you. You probably wouldn't know who I am, but I certainly know who you are. Once again, I am sorry. Sincerely, Milena_"

Axyl stared at the name for a while before looking back at the first sentence. _Her brother_? She thought. She put the card into her pocket and looked up at the flowers.

"She got these for me? But, she doesn't even know me. I have to thank this girl whenever I get the chance to," Axyl muttered to herself as she sat back down on the bed.

Her crutches were leaning against the wall where she left them; she stood up and grabbed them. The nurse said that she could leave today so she was going to leave. She was standing in front of the door when she suddenly stopped. Glancing back, Axyl looked at the vase of flowers. How was she going to get this out with her? She had no idea.

"I might have to call someone to take this for me..." She muttered to herself as she walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>The first place she went to was the library because it was the closest public place to the hospital wing. She hobbled in and looked around. Empty. She sighed as she turned around to leave. But before she left she heard a sneeze. She whipped back around and started searching for the source of the sound. Walking past rows and rows of shelves and books, she recognised a few of them. As she walked past the fifth row of books she found a small, orange-y figure hunched over a book in the corner.<p>

"Bug?" Axyl asked as she approached the insect.

Bug's head perked up as he heard his name being called. His antennas twitched around for a moment before he realised who it was.

"Oh, it's just you, Axyl," He said and smiled.

"Yeah," Axyl replied.

For a moment the two stood in silence. Bug's large eyes seemed to grow wider as if he remembered something.

"Oh my god! How could I forget? I need to apologise for yesterday. I really am sorry, but it was just such a February moment and you know I can't resist that," Bug said as his antennas flopped down.

Axyl shrugged and sighed.

"It's fine, really," She said and smiled.

She had completely forgotten about the little incident herself.

"Oh, that's great!" Bug said and beamed. "So, why are you here again? Did you need something?" He asked.

"Actually, yes. Would it be too much of a hassle if I asked you to help me carry something back to my room?" Axyl asked as she looked back at the direction of the doors.

If Bug had eyebrows he would have had one raised in curiosity.

"Uh, not at all. What do you need help carrying?" Bug asked as he stood up from where he was hunched over.

"Just a vase of flowers I was given back in the hospital room..." The young Ranger answered.

"Ok, that shouldn't be too hard," Bug said as he headed for the door.

Axyl smiled and nodded gratefully as she followed Bug out of the library.

* * *

><p>The two Rangers arrived back at Axyl's room in the hospital wing. As soon as Bug walked into the room he stopped and sniffed. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. Without Axyl telling him what to do, Bug instinctively walked over to the vase of flowers. He was intrigued by the flowers but most of all the Black Bat Flower.<p>

"I'm guessing this is what you want me to carry for you, right?" He asked as he looked back at Axyl.

"Yes," Axyl simply answered as she waited by the door.

Bug nodded as he carefully picked up the vase. For a while he was unsteady, Axyl tensed up as he looked like he was going to drop the vase, but he soon got his balance. He smiled as he walked over to Axyl.

"Thanks, Bug. I really appreciate it," Axyl said and smiled.

The two left the room and towards the young girl's room. On the way Bug faced Axyl.

"So, who gave these beautiful flowers to you?" He asked as they were walking.

"I don't personally know the person, but she is apparently Raz's sister," Axyl answered quietly.

"His _sister_?" He asked.

"She left me a note along with the flowers. She wanted me to forgive him for what he did. She sounded desperate, like she wanted to maintain family pride or something. Is she a Ranger too?" Axyl explained.

"What? So, that person who did..._that_ to you has a sister who wants you to forgive him? I haven't really paid any attention to him, let alone his sister," Bug replied.

The two Rangers walked the remaining distance to Axyl's room in silence.

* * *

><p>Axyl entered her room with Bug following behind her.<p>

"Where do you want this?" He asked as he wondered around the room.

"Just over there would be great," She pointed to the table in the middle of the room.

Bug nodded as he gently and carefully placed the vase on the table. From the corner of her eye as she was placing her crutches down, she could see Bug standing there staring at the exotic flower.

"Yeah, I like it too," She finally said as she turned around and sat on her bed.

Bug snapped his head to her direction and smiled.

"This flower is beautiful. If she's on board then how did she get it up here? We don't grow such exotic flowers," Bug said as he paced around the room.

This made Axyl wonder too. She felt the little card in her pocket, pulling it out and re-reading it. She gestured for Bug to come over and read. He did so and gasped.

"From Earth? Wow..." Bug muttered as he placed a claw on Axyl's shoulder.

"Yeah, and I've seen that flower only once before in my life. That was when I was a little girl. My father would take me and my younger sister to the Botanical Garden back in England. There were a lot of beautiful flowers and plants there but the one that stood out the most to me was this flower," Axyl explained as she looked over at the Black Bat. "I only saw it once. And by the time we came back for another visit, it was gone,"

Bug smiled as he listened. After a moment of silence he took his claw off.

"It must've been great to live on Earth," He said and sighed. He then realised that he didn't finish his sentence. "I mean, before the Robot Wars and everything..."

Axyl laughed and looked at Bug. She stood up carefully, trying not to topple over. She held her arms out and gave the orange coloured insect a hug.

"It was great living on Earth. But being here is even better, especially with you guys," Axyl muttered. "You're all my family and home away from home,"

With the Axyl pulled away from the hug and sat back down on the bed.

"Thanks a lot for your help, Bug," She said and smiled.

"No problem, it's what friends do!" Bug replied and beamed. "See you around,"

Bug turned around and left the room. Axyl was sitting, thinking and waiting. For what? She didn't know. She thought about what Milena had written.

"_Please forgive my brother._"

Forgive him. How could she after what he did? She'd need to meet Milena in person. Who was she anyway?

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: GOOD DEAD GOD! I am so terribly sorry for being so lazy! Hopefully you all like this chapter . The next chapter will be more exciting! I promise! Thank you all for waiting! I love you all! Stay tuned!<strong>


	13. Meeting Milena

Axyl was sitting in the cafeteria for the first time in 9 days for dinner. Everyone kept their distance from her. She was sitting at a table by herself. The crew didn't seem to be there; she felt somewhat relieved. The food on her plate had hardly been touched. She wasn't hungry but she needed to eat something. She looked up from the plate and found some Ensigns staring at her. As soon as she made eye contact with them they shivered and turned away. Axyl sighed. She forgot that everyone knew about what happened, about what Raz had done to her. She listened carefully at the other Ranger's conversations, noticing that some were talking about her.

"She looks fine,"

"I thought she was nearly dead,"

"Some say that she was mauled by some weird lion but that sounds totally fake,"

"I heard that she was...you know...something really bad and unspeakable..."

"You mean like..._raped_?"

"What? Seriously?"

"I think that's a little absurd and that whoever made that up went too far"

At this Axyl raised a brow and looked over at the groups of people gossiping. She glared at them all before looking back down at her still full plate. She had just been put off from her food. Axyl stood up, causing most of the cafeteria to shut up, and grabbed her crutches. She headed out of the cafeteria and stormed down the hallway. The sound of her walking down the hallway echoed throughout the long and empty tunnel. Her mood went from passive to almost in a rage.

"That's it Raz, you're finished. I don't care what your sister says; I'm going to get you back for this!" Axyl muttered as she rushed into her room.

As she entered her room she started plotting a plan which would put Raz in a world of hurt. She just needed to find out where he would most likely be at what times. Preferably she could corner him somewhere where she would have no problem fighting him. She completely forgot about her still healing injuries, anger fuelling her mind and body. Everything she was thinking of was beyond sane. Raz was in for something unforgettable.

* * *

><p>Axyl looked perfectly fine as she walked out of her room after she locked herself in her room for the past 10 hours. It was early morning and only a few people were up. She ignored the people that passed her, who were obviously talking about her, making them feel uneasy and scared as she grinned. She walked happily down the corridors of the Starship and ducked into one of the supply closets. A soft tune passed her lips as she whistled to herself and gathered a few things. This was certainly well thought out plan.<p>

"_One way or another I'm gonna find ya, _

_I'm gonna getcha getcha getcha getcha, _

_One way or another I'm gonna kill ya, _

_I'm gonna getcha getcha getcha getcha, _

_One way or another I'm gonna see ya_

_I'm gonna meetcha meetcha meetcha meetcha_" Axyl sung quietly to herself and laughed.

She emerged from the room with a bag full of supplies and continued on her way like it was nothing. Since it was still early she headed straight for the gym. When she peeked in she saw that the coast was clear. The sneaky Ranger slipped into the gym and locked the doors behind her. The lights were off and Axyl got to work, rushing about in the dim light that seeped in through the windows of the doors.

"By the time I'm done with this he should be here..." She muttered as climbed up a ladder to get to the top of the doors.

She started hammering a small plank of wood above the doors. This plank had hinges on it so that, when triggered, it would fall. When she tested to see if it worked she smiled and climbed back down the ladder to fill up a bucket with something that didn't seem too safe. She grabbed two bottles of chemicals from the bag and opened both caps. She slowly poured both of the liquids into the bucket, watching them fizz and smoke. Her expression had changed from an almost raving psychotic to one of concentration and determination.

"This'll wipe that smug look off his face, quite literally," She whispered to herself as if she were talking to someone else.

Once all of the contents from both bottles had been emptied out into the bucket Axyl picked up the now heavy bucket and climbed up the ladder once more to place it on top of the wooden plank. She checked it first to see if it could support the bucket's weight. Satisfied with the results she made her way back down to retrieve some thin wire. The coil of wire had been slightly tangled in the bag but didn't take Axyl too long to untangle. She tied one end of the wire to the two collapsible hinges of the plank on top of the doors and threaded it through a pin on the ground to the left. She then led the wire to the other side of the door and tied it to the other pin. She had successfully constructed her first trap for Raz, a tripwire that would then potentially tip the bucket of deadly chemicals onto its victim. She stopped for a moment and heard something in her head.

"_Is this really how you're going to get revenge? By melting his face off? I thought better of you dear sister_," A soft yet firm voice cooed.

"Ezador? Bu-But...Did you see what he did to me? This is just a little prank...Then I was going to...beat him up but that's not the point!" Axyl told the voice in her head.

"_Sometimes you just have to forgive and forget. Just like how you have to forgive yourself and forget that it's not your fault for not being down there for my funeral. If you had come back down for my funeral and missed out on training at the Academy I don't think that I would have forgiven myself. Even though you love me very much I know that way past that is a withering fire that is fighting to become a raging fire. Doing things like this just puts more water on that fire and you'll lose the chance of becoming the best Starship Ranger that you were meant to be. Just remember that I love you and don't let me ruin your chances at happiness because if you're happy then so am I_," Ezador's voice said, bringing tears to Axyl's eyes.

She hated when her conscience took the form of Ezador. It made her even madder at herself some times. Pushing what her conscience was subtly trying to tell her to the back of her mind, Axyl snapped out of her thoughts. She looked back out of the windows of the doors and saw that the lights had gotten a little brighter. This meant that most of the Rangers were waking up and were ready for their daily routines, lessons and training. Axyl knew that for a fact that Raz was always the first one in the gym on this very day each week. The Ranger unlocked the gym as she headed over to the furthest bench and waited eagerly for her victim to arrive.

* * *

><p>Raz walked down the hallway of the Starship with a slight bounce in his steps making them like big strides. He seemed to have forgotten about his inexcusable actions a week and a bit ago. As he made his way to the gym, Raz caught snippets of conversations of passing rangers. He heard <em>beat up<em>, _Raz_, _kill_ and the most prominent of words _Axyl_. He tried to ignore those conversations as he stopped himself in front of the gym doors. He stepped forward and the doors opened. As he did this the lights all switched on. He looked around before taking a big step inside. Raz had, without his knowledge, stepped _over_ Axyl's trip wire thanks to his strides. He walked over to the punching bags first. Axyl clenched her hands into balls but kept quiet. Since that her only trap failed to set off on her victim she had no choice but to get rid of it now before it hit anyone else. But before Axyl could do this another person stepped in.

"Shit!" She muttered to herself as she watched the person walk in.

The Ranger walked in the same was Raz did, with long strides. But as he turned directly to the right of the doors and set his foot down the wire caught just on his show. Because the young man had gone off to the side he didn't get hit by the nasty concoction of chemicals that filled the suspended bucket. All of the bucket's content was spilt across the floor, bubbling and fizzing as it made contact with the smooth flooring. The Ranger gave out a small yelp as he jumped forward, avoiding the spitting liquid. This sparked Raz's attention as he stopped what he was doing and turned around.

"What the-?" He let out in the form of a sigh.

He looked at the Ranger that had barely missed being burnt, clinging to the wall behind him. Axyl let out a sigh of her own, relieved that he wasn't hit. But this didn't change her feelings towards Raz. She still needed to get him back for what he did. Raz rushed over to the other Ranger, checking to see if he was alright. After getting a nod as a reply from the shocked Ranger, Raz bolted out of the room to get some help. Axyl cursed under her breath as she stayed where she was, trying to stay unnoticed.

"_That was a close one, dear sister. That Ranger could have gotten seriously hurt. Think before you act_," Ezador's voice chimed in, mocking her.

Axyl growled softly at herself. She kept an eye on the Ranger who was still backed up against the wall. By the time he finally moved more Rangers around the same age rushed in, careful of the deadly pool of chemicals. There were about 20 other Rangers that had come in, including Raz. All of them looked shocked at what they saw on the floor. Raz told everyone to be careful and told another Ranger to go get help from a Commander, them being Ensigns. Axyl sighed and let her guard down for a moment, sitting on the bench looking guilty. At that same moment Raz was looking around for anything or anyone suspicious. It just so happened that his gaze locked on to a certain Ranger near the back of the gym.

"I knew it," Raz hissed as he carefully pushed past the other Ensigns to get to Axyl.

Before Axyl knew it she felt a pair of hands take a firm grip on her shoulders. Her head snapped up to look at the person standing in front of her. She let out a slow sigh that she had unknowingly held in, trying to keep it calm as possible. Towering over her was the young man who had terrorised her from the beginning of the year. She tried to pull away but his strong hands stopped her. Usually, Axyl would have punched or kicked him but she was caught by surprise. She looked up into his dark brown eyes which were already fixed on hers.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Raz muttered, his gaze intensifying.

Axyl paused a bit before answering, hoping that her voice hadn't suddenly changed from harsh to frightened.

"What's it to you?" She spat as she tried to shake his hands off, but to no avail.

It seemed that Raz's grip on her shoulders had tightened, making Axyl wince slightly at the pain.

"Who was this for?" Raz asked, he had a lot more questions to ask her.

"Do you want the truth that'll hurt or a lie that'll please?" The young Ranger replied with a question.

"The truth obviously," Raz growled as he glanced back to see if any attention had been drawn to them.

Axyl used this small opportunity to free herself of Raz's grasp. She slid under his arms as he fumbled trying to catch her again.

"Since you want to know so badly, it was a present for you," Axyl said aloud, but not loud enough for the other Rangers to hear.

Raz lunged at her, attempting to grab her again but she was too fast. She seemed to have recovered better than he thought.

"And how did I not trigger the trap?" He asked as he leaned against the wall, giving up on catching the Ranger.

"You and your way of walking stepped right over the tripwire. You didn't even see it _or_ me for starters," Axyl said as she stood opposite Raz, staring right at him.

Her confidence was building up, thankfully. She wondered why she had been scared in the first place. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Just be glad that no one was seriously hurt," Raz replied as he glanced back to the Ranger who had fortunately missed the trap.

Axyl scoffed. "Be glad that no one was seriously hurt? Are you kidding me? So, you think that me setting up a trap that _may_ have been a serious threat to someone is bad when you, yourself, beat me up with two others, knocking me unconscious and continuing to finish me off while I was tied to a damn tree!" She was yelling now.

* * *

><p>Everyone's attention was directed to the two Rangers up the back of the gym. Raz's face turned a light shade of pink as he realised that he had indeed did that. She made him eat his own words and she smiled triumphantly. She wasn't sure if everyone heard all of what she said but didn't care.<p>

"Just be glad that I didn't kill you!" Raz replied after a small silence.

The Rangers slowly started swarming towards the two up the back, forgetting about the pool of deadly chemicals. A fight was way more interesting than safety.

"Just be glad that this little thing here was a prank and not revenge for making me lose a Dead God Damn bet!" Axyl spat back.

Raz frowned and pushed himself off the wall. Axyl glared at him and got ready to fight him. The two of them were now surrounded by the Rangers whooping and wolf whistling. Axyl ignored them and so did Raz.

"I did take some pity on you though. I received a letter from your sister, begging for forgiveness for you," Axyl added and smirked.

Raz paused for a second. Was he..._laughing_? What was so funny about that?

"Sister? I have no sister! How ridiculous!" He said and snorted.

Axyl's face turned a light shade of pink this time.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I. Don't. Have. A. Sister." Was the reply she got before Raz stopped laughing.

The two of them started circling each other, with more seriousness, like two animals in the wild fighting for dominance. At the same time Raz and Axyl lunged out at each other. But right before they made contact a soft yet loud voice called out, stopping them both in their tracks, mere inches away from each other. Everyone turned to the source of the voice. Axyl and Raz couldn't see due to the crowded Rangers.

"Stop this right now!" The voice silenced everyone in the room.

The owner of the voice seemed to be walking towards Raz and Axyl seeing how the Rangers parted for them. To Axyl's surprise it was a small girl dressed in a beautiful white floor length dress that seemed hardly appropriate for the time and place.

"Who are you?" Axyl heard herself say a little too harshly.

However the little girl didn't flinch. She seemed to be only about 9 or 10 years old. Yet the girl had the expression and poise of a young lady.

"My name is Milena. I believe you received flowers and a note from me," The young girl said with a hint of a Russian accent.

Axyl stood there gobsmacked. This_ was Milena?_ She thought. When she thought of someone with such neat handwriting and such literary skills she thought of someone much older than a pre-teen. She looked at the young girl again. She looked nothing like Raz; waist-length white blonde hair that rested along her shoulders in perfect curls that Axyl could only dream of having, pale porcelain skin and piercing blue eyes (much like Commander Up's), and to top it off her fragile structure made her look like she was made of glass or something that could be easily broken.

"_You're_ Milena? I didn't expect you to be so...Young," Axyl said with a look of surprise on her face.

"I'm not that young. I'm turning 11 in a couple of months," The young girl replied.

Milena walked up calmly to both Rangers. She gave a quick smile to Axyl before setting her eyes on Raz.

"Oh...You meant _her_. She's not actually my sister. She's _adopted_; an outcast. My parents adopted her because they felt sorry for her. She is a pain in the arse and no one likes her. She's not even supposed to be on this Starship!" Raz ranted on.

Axyl looked at him in disgust. She couldn't believe that Raz would say those things about a little girl right in front of her. She looked over at Milena who seemed to keep her calm composure. Surely she was used to this kind of thing.

"Oh, shut up, Raz! How can you say that to her? She's a little girl who does have _feelings_. She shouldn't have to put up with all your crap!" Axyl shouted at him.

The young girl seemed surprised at this. No one had really said anything nice to her before while being on the Starship. The reason behind Axyl's words was that she used to be picked on back on Earth when she was Milena's age. She couldn't possibly let Raz get away with insulting his younger, _adopted_ sister. She had enough of it.

"Really, it's alright, Axyl. I don't mind," Milena said calmly.

Axyl couldn't read the young girl at all. How could she not be offended or hurt by this?

"No! This is not alright!" Axyl said as she pulled Milena back quickly and continued from where she left off.

* * *

><p>Axyl growled before lunging at Raz, taking him by surprise. She tackled him to the ground and pinned him. She punched him hard in the face, feeling a crack under her knuckles. When she pulled her hand away she could see blood seeping from Raz's nose. The angle in which she was positioned on top of Raz was extremely discomforting and hurt her still healing bones, yet she didn't let it show.<p>

"Please, don't do this Axyl!" She heard Milena cry.

Axyl stopped and looked back at the young girl who had broken her calm composure. She was scared and worried for her brother. Although he treated her poorly she still loved him. Axyl could see it in her and sighed. The Ranger got up from on top of Raz and stepped away from him. Milena half smiled and blinked back tears.

"Thank you," She whispered, which was almost inaudible for Axyl.

"This doesn't mean I forgive him though. He will pay," Axyl said as she turned around and left the gym.

Everyone around them had frozen still, unable to move even the slightest bit. Raz was lying on the floor still stunned by the surprise attack. Milena was standing next to him, looking down. She knelt down and pulled him up.

"I don't care what you say, Rasputin, but I still love you," She said softly when he was standing on his two feet.

Milena walked out of the gym not too long after Axyl did. Just as Milena left Commander Up rushed in but was stopped in his tracks before he almost hit a puddle made of strange liquid.

"What the hell happened here?" He boomed.

Everyone stayed silent. Up sighed and called one of the janitors to come deal with it.

"Can you all at least tell me who did this?" Up asked.

Raz stepped towards Up, wiping the blood away from his nose on his sleeve.

"Your good friend Axyl did that _and_ this," He answered as he pointed to the puddle of chemicals and then to his face.

Up eyed him for a moment then remembered that Raz was the one who had beat Axyl to a pulp.

"Oh well, at least no one got seriously injured!" He said as he walked back out. "Oh! And all of you get out of there before I do it myself! Cleaners need their space too, ya know!" He hollered back.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Oh DEAD GOD! Chapter 13 finished! I'm so sorry for my laziness! It's gotten way out of hand! But here you go! Axyl does get a little crazy in the beginning I know. The reason for the Blondie quote was because I was listening to Blondie while I wrote that part! And extra long chapter for you all! Hopefully you all like it! Please, please, please review otherwise I won't have the motivation to continue writing! Your reviews are my fuel! I love you all! Stay tuned!<strong>


	14. The First Mission

**This chapter is dedicated to everyone on the StarkidPotter facebook page, who has read my fanfic thus far and has loved it! This one is for you all! I know you've been nagging me but it's finally here!**

* * *

><p>The Commander was wondering the halls with something on his mind. He was deep in thought, unconsciously avoiding other Rangers who seemed to pass and turning around random corners until he hit a dead end. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked around him.<p>

"How did I end up here?" Up asked himself as he tried to remember how he got there.

He turned around and started walking back the way he came. Where was he going anyway? He forgot. Up had just come back from a meeting with Grizwald and the other Commanders about their next mission and who was to be put into this mission. The mission itself was fairly easy; a new planet has been discovered and Rangers will be sent down to investigate. Some of the Commanders suggested Rangers who seemed fit enough for the job and Up knew someone who would be perfect for it.

"I think I'll go tell her," Up muttered as he turned right and walked down the hallway.

Up was headed to Axyl's room to tell her, personally, that she had been chosen to be a part of the mission. Only two teams of 10 were being sent down. In about 2 minutes Up found himself in front of Axyl's door. He lifted his arm up with his hand curled lightly into a fist and knocked gently on the door.

"Axyl?" No answer.

Up tried again; he knocked a little louder. No answer. Was she even in her room? He didn't know. By the looks of it she wasn't.

"Maybe I should ask Taz if she knows where Axyl is..." Up muttered to himself as he headed down the hallway to Taz's room first.

He knocked on the door. No answer. What was going on? He knocked louder. Still no answer. Up was getting a little worried. Without knowing, Up started walking to the one place where Taz would definitely be if she wasn't in her room. The gym. Up walked down the corridor and turned a few corners before standing in front of the gym doors. He could hear faint grunts and shouts coming from inside which made him sigh with relief. His lips twitch into a smile. Taz was in there.

"Hey Taz! I need to talk to you!" Up called out, walking into the room.

Taz was punching and kicking the unfortunate punching-bag that was hanging there by weak chains. She stopped and turned around to face the familiar voice.

"What about?" She asked as she stopped in mid-kick, drawing her leg back and placed it on the ground.

She walked over to the bench where her towel was sitting and snatched it up, slinging it over her shoulder. Up approached her and looked at her, sweat dripping from her forehead and stray strands of hair sticking up every which way. Up couldn't help but chuckle. Taz shot him a glare and he stopped, still grinning.

"Spit it out, _idiota_. I'd like to get back to training," Taz spat coldly.

"Okay, okay. I just wanted to know if you knew where Axyl was," Up finally said as his grin faded.  
>Taz stared at him for a moment with a curious expression.<p>

"She wasn't in her room? Did jou look anywhere else?" Taz asked.

Up shook his head.

"Why don't jou go look in the Nature Garden?" Taz suggested.

Up's face lit up. The Nature Garden! He was heading for the door when Taz's voice stopped him.

"Why do jou need her?" She asked.

"I need to tell her that she has received her first mission!" Up replied happily and continued out of the gym.

Taz smiled as she wiped her head with her towel.

"Her first mission, eh? That _chica_ is going to do great," She said to herself as she threw the towel back on to the bench and resumed her training session.

* * *

><p>Up reached the Nature Garden and walked in. He looked around briefly and couldn't spot her. He looked again and saw a flash of orange and black behind a far off tree. There she is, he thought as he approached her with a smile. When he got closer he could hear faint mumbles. Up's smile faded.<p>

"Axyl?" He asked.

He saw Axyl jump at the sound of his voice and stiffened in caution for a moment before relaxing and recognising whose voice it was. She turned and looked up at him. Was something wrong?

"What's up?" Axyl asked; her British accent was more prominent than Up had heard in their entire friendship.

Up walked around the tree and stood directly in front of Axyl. She was sitting up against the trunk of the tree with her head leaning against the hard bark. On the grass in front of her was a picture of a young girl with long black hair and brown eyes; a natural beauty.

"Is something the matter, Axyl?" Up asked as he sat himself down on the grass.

Axyl watched as he sat down in front of her, staring at the picture.

"Huh? Oh, nah...I'm just...remembering things..." She muttered and sighed as her eyes set on the picture which was now being picked up by her superior.

"Who's this?" Up asked as he took a good look at the picture; the girl looked somewhat familiar.

Axyl faintly smiled as she took the pictures from Up's calloused hands.

"That's...That's my sister, Ezador," She said quietly. "Beautiful, isn't she?"

Up nodded slightly and smiled along with her. She was acting a little strange, something was off.

"Yeah," Up simply replied. "Where is she?" He asked.

Axyl's smile disappeared and any sign of happiness was nowhere to be seen. She just stared at the picture, as if she were talking to it through her mind. She nearly forgot that Up was with her. Her head snapped up and Emerald green met Sapphire blue.

"She...Is on Earth...Well, more in Earth than on," Axyl whispered as her fingers fiddled with the picture frame.

Up thought for a moment before it clicked in his mind what she meant by 'in Earth'. "Oh, Dead God, I'm real sorry, Axyl. What...What happened?" He asked, not sure if he was prying too much into her personal life.

"It's alright. I'm not really sure what happened anyway. While I was in my 3rd year of the Academy, I got an urgent message from Earth, from my father, saying that Ezador, my sister, had passed away. I don't even know what she died from. And for the next few weeks my thoughts were only focussed on her. I couldn't bear to open my present," Axyl explained.

"Wait. Present? When did she die?" Up needed to know.

"On this very day 4 years ago. When I turned 15 years old. She was only 10 when she died," Axyl answered.

Up could feel tears threaten to run down his cheeks but he blinked them back. He felt so bad for Axyl. It must have been awful for a family member to die on your birthday. He extended his arm out and gently held her shoulder.

"It's alright Axyl, maybe one day you'll find out how she died," Up said and squeezed her shoulder lightly.

Saying that out loud sounded a little strange but it was too late to take back. Up looked at Axyl's face; a forced smile plastered on. She was grateful that Up was comforting her but she felt that she didn't need it, she didn't want it.

* * *

><p>The two Rangers sat in silence as the cool breeze of the Nature Garden grazed past them, sending a light chill down Axyl's spine. The leaves of the tree they sat under were rustling and some fell loose, landing on both Axyl and Up's laps. Axyl brushed them off on to the grass while Up left them on his lap.<p>

"Well, on a brighter note, you should get yourself prepped and ready to go in a week because you're going on your first mission, soldier!" Up said in a cheerier tone; trying to lift the mood a little with this news.

Axyl sat there, staring at Up for a full minute before she opened her mouth to say something. When she did nothing came out. She hadn't realised what Up had said and needed him to repeat himself.

"You're going on your first mission!" He said whilst suppressing a chuckle.

Axyl's eyes grew wide in realisation and without warning threw her arms around the commander.

Up jumped in surprise by the sudden hug but soon put his arms around her. He could feel her shaking in his arms and he smiled.

"Are you serious? Thank you so much Up," Axyl whispered, her voice muffled by Up's shirt.

"You can thank me after you get yourself ready! You get sent out a week from now so you have plenty of time to train and prep!" Up said and smiled as he pulled away from the hug.

He held Axyl's shoulders and looked at her. She was smiling a very silly smile that only appeared when something really good happened; her eyes were glittering with her unshed tears and Up could feel her trembling with excitement. Axyl was really thankful for the news that Up gave her. It distracted her slightly from the pain and guilt of her sister's death on her birthday.

"What...What should I do now? I mean...I-I've never been on a mission before..." Axyl stammered as she fiddled with the hemline of her shirt.

"Well, for starters you can start training. Prepping for a mission means that you have to do harder work; don't worry, I'll help you," Up said and gave her that oh-so-famous wink.

Axyl smiled as Up stood up, offering his hand to help her. She took his hand and pulled herself up on to her feet. She dusted off her backside and legs before returning her attention to Up.

"I honestly can't thank you enough, Up...For everything really. I remember, not too long ago, when I was still at the Academy. You guys came in, tested us and I...I got to make friends with the people...bug and machine...that I admire! Then I was whisked away here and before I knew it I had skipped a year of training because of you. You saw the potential in me...You knew I was good. And now I'm going on this mission. I won't let you down, sir!" Axyl explained, pouring her heart out and afterwards, saluted to her Commander.

Up chuckled and put a hand on Axyl's shoulder.

"At ease, soldier. No doubt you'll keep that promise. I'm proud of you," He said as he put his hand back down by his side.

"Thanks, Up..." Axyl said before kneeling back down and picking up the picture of Ezador.  
>She ran her finger around the edge of the frame before gently sliding it over Ezador's face. She smiled.<p>

"I'm finally doing it, Ez. I'm going on my first mission. You'd be so proud of me. I love you," She whispered, quiet enough that Up couldn't hear what she was saying.

Axyl straightened herself and faced Up. She nodded at him before taking her leave from the Nature Garden and Up followed suit.

* * *

><p>Axyl walked into her room with a rush of excitement, anticipation and adrenaline. She hadn't even been training and yet she was so riled up. She was so ready to go right then and there for her first mission. She had so much energy that she was bouncing off the walls. Well, not literally, but she couldn't stop herself from moving.<p>

"I'm going on my first mission! I'm going on my first mission!" She kept repeating.

But what she didn't realise was that right there on her bed was a large box, wrapped in pretty red and purple wrapping paper, topped with an orange and black bow. It wasn't until she went to sit on her bed to try and calm herself that she found it.

"Huh? What's this?" She asked herself as she started slowly and carefully inspecting it.

Axyl felt around the box until she reached a tag attached to the box. It read:

_Dear Axyl,_  
><em>Sorry we couldn't all come and celebrate your birthday with you but we were all just a little too busy. We all pitched in with the presents. Hope you like them. Happy Birthday!<em>  
><em>Lots of love,<em>  
><em>Up, Taz, Bug, February, Krayonder, Specs, Tootsie and MegaGirl xoxo<em>  
><em>P.S. Congrats on your first mission!<em>

As Axyl was reading this, tears started welling up. She was so overjoyed and emotional that she started crying. This was her first birthday present in 3 years and it was the first time she really celebrated it since she left home. Axyl rubbed her eyes and started to carefully unwrap the big box. She lifted the top off and looked at what was inside.

She picked up the first one; a long chain with...Dog tags. This was definitely from Taz. On the first one the words '_Mi querida hermana, Ezador_' were inscribed on it. On the second one the words '_Starship Rangers, amigos para siempre_' were inscribed on it. Axyl knew what those words meant and she was glad that Taz gave her this.

The next thing she picked up from the box was a green bag like thing. On the front of it was Bug's name. 'Bug the Egg Planter' was the full text. Axyl giggled. Was this what Bug was put as when he got his job from his Over Queen? She smiled and set it aside.

She picked up something that was quite a bit heavier than a bag. When Axyl fully inspected it she realised that this contraption could only have come from none other than the whiz-kid Specs. It looked like a movement detector, something that could sense movement from up to a mile away. This would certainly come in handy for her mission.

Axyl rummaged through the box until she felt a sharp object poke through her skin. She instantly jumped and sucked the finger that had been pierced. When she went back in, she grabbed the object by the handle. She pulled it out and smiled when she realised what it was. A knife, no doubt from Krayonder, since he regularly got stabbed by Taz.

Once again, Axyl plunged into the half empty box and fished out a smaller box. It was smooth and black. She wondered what it was. She opened it and in it were different assortments of blush, eye shadow, lip gloss and all that jazz. Definitely from February. Axyl laughed and set the make-up box aside before diving in the box again.

When she pulled her hand out, Axyl was holding what appeared to be a small stack of. . . hay? With it was a small note written in appalling handwriting but it was neat enough to just make out what it says. 'This is one of my cousin's babies. You can name him whatever you want!'. Axyl laughed as she gently placed the small stack of hay on her bed side table. She thought a while before writing on the back of the note 'Dipsy'. She went back to her box.

She grabbed out the second last present in the box. As soon as Axyl pulled it out of the box, it sprung to life! It was a little robot. It turned to Axyl and smiled.  
>"Hello, Axyl. I am Mini-Tron 8000. I am a small robot designed to be your best friend!" The tiny robot said and pointed to her.<br>It was the size of her palm. She adored it. She placed Mini-Tron on her lap and proceeded to retrieve the last present in the box.

Axyl pulled out the last present and smiled. More tears started welling up. She didn't think that she could cry any more today but she was wrong. What she was looking at was a picture of her, Up, Taz, Bug, February, Krayonder, Specs, Tootsie and MegaGirl on the day of her graduation. She put the picture right next to her picture of Ezador and smiled.

Axyl stood up from her bed and looked at all the presents she got from her friends. She was so thankful for having them. She couldn't be luckier. Axyl started tidying her room up and got herself ready for bed. All of her presents had their special place in her room. The dog tags she wore around her neck; the Egg Planter bag hung on the door handle of the bathroom which held Dipsy inside it; the movement detector sat on her bedside table along with the make-up box; Mini-Tron rested on her pillow and the picture of Axyl and the crew sat right next to her lovely picture of her sister.

"This day was the best..." She muttered as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that! It took a helluva lotta time to write...how long was it since I last updated? 3 weeks ago? 3 WEEKS AGO? Good dead God! I'm so sorry everyone for updating so late. I'm really, really lazy and that shouldn't be an excuse! Next chapter should be up within a week or 2 so you'd better be prepared for AWESOME! :D Love you all! Reviews would be absolutely lovely! Stay tuned!**

**I'd also like to thank my new beta! Thanks for editing :D**

* * *

><p><strong>Translations: (According to Google Translate)<strong>

"_Mi querida hermana, Ezador"_ – "My dear sister, Ezador"

"_Starship Rangers, amigos para siempre"_ – "Starship Rangers, friends forever"


	15. New Planet And Its Inhabitants Pt 1

**This chapter is my (very **_**late**_**) Christmas present to my friend Danni! Merry Christmas and I hope you like the chapter! Hugs and butterfly kisses!**

(Axyl's POV)

_What was this new planet called? I think Grizwald called it Armadestine. I don't know. Well, this ship certainly smaller than the mothership. In fact, it looks more like the size of my room and maybe the room next to mine combined. We're all seated at the moment, on our way to the new planet. There are two rows of seats that face each other; right now I'm facing one of the few female Rangers on this mission. From what I heard I think her name is Rocky or Roxy. Who cares? Not that I know anyone here anyway. This trip down to this new planet is a little bumpy an- oh crap! That not so light bump scared me. Just hold on to your zapper and release the nervousness. Something tells me that I'm not exactly ready for this mission, mentally. I do remember all my hard work and training over the past week though..._

* * *

><p>For a week Axyl had been training hard, 6-7 hours a day, with Up and Taz helping her. She worked on endurance and strength with Up, and on top of that she had to learn how to use different zappers with Taz. With the ballistics training, Taz told her to try out different zappers to see which one she was most comfortable with. Axyl tried out several different types of zappers before picking out her favourite one.<p>

"Are jou sure jou want that one, Axyl? It's so..._diminuto_," Axyl remembered hearing Taz say.

"Yeah, well, compared to _your_ zapper it looks like a grain of sand. Yours is like massive!" Axyl had replied.

Taz grinned as she stroked her zapper lovingly. The weapon was almost the same size as her and Axyl was amazed that she didn't hurt herself using it. And in truth, Axyl's choice of zapper was definitely smaller than Taz's but it was the average size of a normal one; not too big and not too small. Now the problem was learning how to properly _use_ the zapper.

Axyl had only tried out the zapper and not properly fired it. Taz told her to step up to the firing range and take aim on the target and shoot. Axyl did so and gingerly squeezed the trigger. The gun jumped in her hands and Axyl took a few steps back due to the recoil. She was breathing in hard from the shock. Taz stood there stifling a chuckle and placed her hand on Axyl's shoulder.

"It's ok, I remember the first time I shot a zapper. I fell straight on my _culo_! Anyway, let's see if jou actually hit anything," Taz said as she walked over to the target with Axyl.

The target was shaped like a person standing still. It was unscathed. Axyl sighed and rubbed her face with her hands. She had expected to be naturally good with zappers but she thought she might have gotten a little too ahead of herself.

"Hey, not everyone can use a zapper straight away. Not even me. It took my some time to fully learn how to use a zapper," Taz said as she rubbed Axyl's back.

Axyl put her hands down by her sides and smiled.

"I guess you're right. Do you have any helpful tips or pointers for me?" Axyl asked as she gripped her zapper again and walked with Taz back to the 50m mark.

Taz thought for a moment before raising her own zapper and aiming at the target. Axyl observed, she seemed calm, focussed and relaxed. Taz took a few deep breaths in first before placing her finger on the trigger and exhaled as she pulled the trigger. Axyl watched as the laser like bullet flew through the air and disappeared through a hole burnt in the middle of the target's chest.

"Yes!" Axyl heard Taz mutter.

"That was amazing! You are a really good shot Taz!" Axyl exclaimed as she walked over to the target.

The hole in the target's chest was burnt and had blackened the edge of where the bullet passed through.

"I try my best," Taz replied and winked.

Axyl walked back over to Taz and took aim. She remembered what Taz did. She calmed herself down, focussed solely on the target and relaxed. She took a few deep breaths before exhaling and pulling the trigger. The recoil of the zapper caught Axyl off guard again and she took a step back. She looked over to Taz first who was looking at the target with a smile. She noticed Axyl looking at her.

"Why don't jou go take a look?" Taz suggested as she watched Axyl walk over to the target.

Axyl had hit the target right on the edge of its arm. She sighed and slumped.

"Hey, at least jou hit the target this time!" Taz said looking on the brighter side. "Don't stop practicing, ok? I know jou, and jou will pick this up easily!"

Axyl smiled at Taz. She walked over to the small Hispanic woman and wrapped her arms around her. Taz seemed a little shocked but relaxed and returned the hug.

"Thanks, and don't worry, I'll keep practicing," Axyl said.

Taz laughed. "Good, 'cause I'm not giving you a choice!"

Throughout the whole week Axyl trained with Taz usually for 2 or 3 hours depending on how well Axyl did that day. And at the end of the week, Axyl had gotten the hang of using her zapper.

* * *

><p>On the other hand, Axyl's training with Up wasn't as laid back as her time with Taz. Up didn't want Axyl falling behind the other Rangers and if there were hostiles on this new planet he didn't want her getting hurt. He trained her hard and spared no minute. He didn't make her stop working, only giving her breaks every hour. In some cases she didn't get any breaks. Axyl remembered her daily routine: After training with Taz she'd meet Up at the gym where they would start with a few warm up laps around the whole gym; after warm ups Axyl would do as many push ups and sit ups as she could whether she liked it or not; then Axyl would spar with Up despite how tired or exhausted she was.<p>

"Up, c'mon! Just give me a break! You know I can't beat you like this!" Axyl panted as she stood opposite Up, bent over, leaning on her legs.

This is how most of their conversations went during Axyl's training.

"Sorry, Axyl, I can't let you have a break yet! I'm doing this to make sure that you're safe when I'm not around on that new planet!" Up replied as he charged towards Axyl.

Axyl moaned as she was grabbed by Up. He started to flip her but she countered it by swinging herself harder and knocking Up to the ground and landing with her knees digging into his chest. Axyl sighed as she tried to catch her breath before Up tried anything else. She was already covered in sweat and was ready to collapse then and there. Axyl could feel Up tensing, ready to do something, so she braced herself. Up threw Axyl off himself with a big shove from his hands. She nearly went flying and landed on her feet then doubled over and started breathing deeply.

"Can I please just sleep now?" Axyl asked as she passed out and fell head first to the ground

Up stared at the exhausted girl lying on the floor in front of him. He walked over to her and knelt down to pick her up.

"I'm sorry for working you so hard, Axyl, but it's for your own good," He muttered as he carried her to her room.

* * *

><p><em>Even though the training was hard, I never really thanked both of them for helping me. I'll do it after the mission. Then I can thank them properly. Hm...I wonder when we'll get th-<em>

"Alright crew! Pair up with the person in front of you and prepare to jump! The surface looks a little unstable for the ship to land on so we'll have to get off here!" Axyl was interrupted from her thoughts by Up.

All of the Rangers nodded as they all unbuckled themselves from their seats. The girl opposite Axyl grinned in an excited way before heading for the door of the ship. Axyl followed suit. Everyone had their spacesuits on and their helmets ready to be put on. Axyl held hers between her arm and her hip. There were a few Rangers in front of her who were first in line to jump.

"You're going to jump and the small rockets in the bottom of your space boots should keep you from splatting on the ground! And remember! The person who was sitting opposite to you will be your partner for the whole mission! Stick to them like _super glue_!" Up shouted as the air-lock doors hissed and opened.

A rush of air whooshed past the Rangers and a sudden chill hit them. Axyl could just see the surface of the planet below them. It was smoggy and the ground seemed more like sticky mud. The atmosphere was just a misty and smoggy as the ground level of this planet.

"I guess I'm paired with you, huh?" Another voice interrupted Axyl's thoughts.

She looked over to where the voice came from. It was the girl who was sitting opposite her.

"I guess you are," Axyl simply replied, not really looking for small talk.

The first one to jump was Commander Parrish, since he was experienced with missions like these.

"Would you mind telling me your name? My name's Rockette. Yeah, like a rocketship," The girl said with a small smile as she held out her hand for Axyl to shake.

The first pair of Rangers jumped not too long after Commander Parrish.

"Axyl Desideratus, you may or may not have heard about me," Axyl replied as she took the girl's hand and gave it a few shakes before letting go.

The next pair jumped, Axyl and Rockette were next.

"I might have heard your name pop up here and there..." Rockette said as she thought.

Axyl and Rockette were commanded to jump. Axyl pulled Rockette out of her thoughts and the two put their helmets on. They looked at each other, gripped their zappers, nodded then jumped.

* * *

><p>It was quite a long way down so they were free-falling for a while before they activate the rockets in their boots so that they land safely on the surface of this new planet. Axyl took the free-falling time to look around herself. There wasn't any blue sky, you could see a few of the other planets that the G.L.E.E had discovered; this planet looked barren like there were no inhabitants. The two Rangers positioned themselves so that they were in an upright position as the rockets slowed them down. They soon felt slightly solid ground beneath their boots as the rockets deactivated.<p>

"Well, that was fun!" Rockette commented as she regained her balance.

Axyl nodded as she stepped around a bit, feeling the ground below her. It was as she had thought earlier; the surface was sludgy and muddy but generally stable for human weight. She could barely see past a few metres due to the thick smog. But what was the source of this?

Axyl watched as Commander Parrish pulled out a strange device from his small back pack and seemed to be scanning something by holding it up in the air. It made loud ticking noises and Parrish nodded. He put the device back into his pack.

"There isn't much oxygen down here mostly due to this smog so I advise that you don't take your helmets off," Parrish

"Alright Rangers! Make sure you stay in your pairs, two pairs will travel together, so that adds up to 4 people in each group! If you find something contact either me or Commander Parrish! You got that?" Up's thick Alabaman accent boomed over the speakers which were installed into the helmets.

Up was answered with cries of yes and nods from all the Rangers. The pairs of Rangers then grouped with another pair and set off. Since Axyl and Rockette were two of the few female Rangers, Rockette suggested that they went with the other female pair. Axyl couldn't have cared less so she was dragged along by her eager partner.

* * *

><p>The four females headed west of where they had landed, walking slowly and cautiously, gripping on to their zappers. Axyl looked over at the other pair in their little group. They had done introductions before they set out.<p>

There was a girl with long dark brown hair and was taller than the other three Rangers. Her name was Danielle or Danni, as she liked to be called.

The other girl was shorter and had amazing red hair with light orange streaks that seemed to blend in. To top it off her hair had been styled in a spiky pixie cut. She liked to be called Leah, but her full name was Eleanora.

Danni seemed to be the care-free and fun-loving type whereas Leah seemed to be the one who was easily irritated and always on edge. They also seemed to be good friends, just in one of those 'love-hate' situations. Anything that Danni did wrong, Leah would either yell or whack her. It was very strange to Axyl because she never really had a true friend.

Axyl pulled out her movement detector from her pack and turned it on. The device started to beep softly. The radar on the device's screen showed 4 red dots, indicating the four Rangers. Axyl couldn't see any other dots so she went on.

"Man, I'm bored!" Danni moaned through the helmet's microphone as she trudged through the muddy terrain.

Axyl spotted Leah rolling her eyes. "Why do you go roll around in this mud or something then?" She practically spat.

Danni stuck her tongue out at her before replying. "Fine! Maybe I will!" She pouted.

Leah walked up to Danni with her arm held high in the air like she was ready to hit her. Danni boldly stared her down like she always did which made Leah even madder.

"Hey! We're on a mission, not a play date!" Axyl heard Rockette shout, facing the two squabbling girls.

From Axyl's first impression of her, she thought that Rockette would be the chirpy, energetic girl but she was proven wrong. She was generally nice and worked well with people but when something was going out of line, she would step up and fix it.

"Precisely, not stop fighting or we'll leave you here and let anything that lives here eat you," Axyl added as she continued on with Rockette on her trail.

"Hah. I like the way you talk," Rockette said as she patted Axyl's shoulder.

"Same for you," Axyl replied as she looked back to see if the other two girls were following.

Danni and Leah complied to Axyl's threat but still pulled faces at each other in silence. Axyl sighed and shook her head. _They're acting like children_. She thought as the movement detector suddenly beeped. Axyl jumped a little before taking it out of her back pack and checking where the movement was coming from. It indicated, for a short moment, that there was something (or someone) was behind them. Axyl whirred around to check. All she saw was the two Rangers still pulling faces at each other.

"Hey! Cut it out! I think something is here..." Axyl said as she checked the gadget again.

The beeping stopped and the extra red dot had disappeared.

"Where?" Rockette asked as she did a 360 check.

Axyl put her finger up to where her lips would be on the helmet and froze. She was trying to hear any signs of movement. Danni looked around, getting a little scared and stayed as still as she could. Leah looked as if she weren't scared or worried for a second this whole trip.

"I don't think it's here any more...Just keep moving and hopefully we won't run into whatever that thing was," Axyl said as she started walking again.

The other 3 Rangers followed, cautiously and slowly, still checking for movement.

* * *

><p>Several long and quiet hours of walking and pointless searching passed before Rockette broke it.<p>

"I don't think there's anything here. Just this barren wasteland that we've been trudging through for the past however many hours," She said and sighed.

"I think we should take a break. We'll just be wasting more energy if we keep going like this," Danni said as she made the mistake of sitting down on the surface.

She was welcomed with a bit of a slip and a cold bottom. Danni pulled a face and groaned. She didn't care anymore and relaxed.

"Not too pleasant to sit on but it's better than standing..." She muttered as she leaned back against her arms.

Leah was a little too eager to sit and slipped more than expected. She cried out in pain from hitting the surface and sighed.

"Good Dead God, you two are hopeless," Rockette mumbled as she carefully sat herself down without slipping or falling.

Axyl remained standing on look out for anything. She couldn't see too far off due to the smog but enough to alert her group if anything was coming. She relaxed a little and looked down at the 3 girls.

"I am seriously hungry," Danni whimpered as she placed a hand on her stomach.

"I think we all are but you'll just have to wait until we regroup with the Commanders," Axyl replied.

Once again, the Rangers sat in silence. Something irked Axyl, it was way too calm and quiet; it had been from the start. Rockette noticed this too and had been on edge the entire time.

"Something seriously doesn't seem right...What do you th-?" Danni started before she was cut off by a painful cry from Rockette.

"Rockette?" Axyl asked as she looked down at her.

She could see the horribly pained expression on her face. Danni and Leah were sent into panic mode. They both started babbling nervously as Axyl tried to talk to Rockette.

"Rockette! Rockette! Are you ok?" She asked before the Ranger sitting in front of her was dragged off into the smog.

Danni and Leah screamed while Axyl stood there shocked. She quickly rummaged through her back pack to grab her movement detector.

"I knew it! It was _way_ too quiet and calm for anything _not_ to happen!" She muttered to herself as she finally pulled it out.

She looked at the beeping device's screen. Axyl could see one of the dots moving fast, it was Rockette. But there wasn't any other dot near her. What in the universe could do that? Axyl didn't know and she wasn't about to let a fellow Ranger get dragged off and get potentially _killed_.

"You two stay here and call the Commanders! Tell them that I've found something and that they've got Rockette! DO IT NOW!" Axyl yelled as she looked back down at the movement detector's screen and started running towards Rockette.

The two girls sat there, scared out of their minds. It took a little while before Leah contacted Commander Up.

"E-Excuse me, s-sir, but Axyl has found something and it's taken Rockette with it! Please come and find us! We don't want to be taken either!" Leah stammered.

"What? We'll be there right away! Don't move a muscle!" Up replied and left the girls alone.

"Dead God, I hope they come soon," Danni whispered.

* * *

><p>Axyl was running hard and fast towards Rockette and her captor. Every few metres, Axyl would check the movement detector to see where that <em>thing<em> was taking Rockette. How could this device not pick up its movement? Axyl didn't dwell on that too much. A crew-mate was in danger and she was going to help.

She checked the device again and found that Rockette had stopped moving and that she was getting closer to her location. She pumped her arms and legs harder and faster, occasionally slipping and stumbling on the muddy surface.

"What kinds of things inhabit this planet?" She asked herself as she ran, panting.

When she got close to where Rockette had stopped moving, Axyl suddenly felt a sharp and burning pain through both her legs. She cried out in pain as she dropped to the ground, face first but was protected by her helmet. She felt warm liquid running down the sides of her legs. She too was dragged off, the front of her helmet getting dirty from the muddy surface. She couldn't do anything to stop it, the pain was too overwhelming. She'd never felt anything like it before in her life.

Axyl attempted to look behind her and see who...or what...was dragging her. She couldn't see anything due to all the mud and grime on her helmet. And soon enough, Axyl blacked out.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hello everyone! I've finally finished this chapter! Yay! It's longer than any other I think! Hopefully you all like it! Just a bit of a cliff-hanger at the end! It'll get better in the next chapter! I know this has been very slow but I like to keep things like that hahaha! It also gives me room for more ideas :P Anyways! Thanks to everyone who has read this far! I love you all! And it'd be even better if you reviewed! Thanks again and stay tuned! :D**


	16. New Planet And Its Inhabitants Pt 2

__Chapter 16: Held Captive

* * *

><p><em>The area is quiet, for now, it seems. Everything is how it should be. Slight breeze, barely any light and terrain to trouble even the well-adapted foreign being is how the <em>Penumbrae_ live, how they strive. But something has disrupted this tranquil environment. And whatever has caused this disruption must and will be eliminated._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Drip.<strong>_

_**Drip.**_

_**Drip.**_

Cold water dripped down from above on the back of Axyl's neck, causing her to shiver and suddenly wake. She tried to move and look around. It was then that she realised that her space suit was no longer on her body. How was she breathing? She didn't know. She couldn't tell if her eyes were open or not, either. It was pitch-black. From what she could tell, she was in some kind of cave. She remembered Rockette, Danni and Leah talking before Rockette had been stolen. Axyl ran to try and save her, but got herself caught and injured. She remembered that Rockette was probably here.

"Ro..." Her voice was hoarse and strained, her throat was dry. She tried swallowing but that didn't really help. She tried again. "Rock...Rockette?" She finally managed to whisper.

Axyl could hear slight movement to her left or in front of her. She instantly tensed. Coughing soon filled in for the silence, only for a moment.

"Axyl?" A voice just a hoarse as Axyl's answered.

"Yeah...I'm...I'm here," Axyl's voice was slowly and painfully returning to her.

It was only until now that Axyl tried to stand up. She found herself restrained around something cold and hard. It appeared to be a rock.

"Hey, are you tied up too?" Rockette asked when she heard her friend trying to move.

"Yeah...How are we going to get out?" Axyl asked as she tried again to free herself from her bonds.

Axyl was sitting in the most awkward position she could have ever imagined. Looks like their captors couldn't care less about their well being. She was sitting up, arms tied around the rock behind her so that they twisted and her legs were tied up behind her as well, they were positioned to her right and were tied up by her ankles. Axyl accidentally jerked her legs trying to free them when she was shocked with excruciating pain through both her legs. The scream that followed ripped through the silence. It was strained and ear-piercing. Rockette called out her name, worried.

"Axyl? Axyl, are you okay?" Rockette asked panicked.

When the pain died down for the moment she swallowed hard before answering.

"N-Not really...D-Do your...Your legs hurt...As much as mine?" Axyl stammered.

Rockette didn't think about her own legs because her friend was in pain. She hadn't made to move her legs yet. Rockette gingerly moved her legs and when the bonds seemed to tighten around her ankles and cause strain up through her legs, she let out a small cry.

"Probably not, because you must've really...kicked your legs," Rockette replied while the pain started to subside, trying to free her hands from the things that kept her confined to the rock behind her.

"Did you see the things that dragged us off? I didn't get a chance to look," Axyl asked, trying to keep their conversations up so that the deafening silence didn't get to her.

"Well, I was too busy screaming and trying to free myself to see who or what took me," Rockette seemed really distressed and for good reason.

Axyl nodded, understandingly, and silence fell around the two Rangers. A slight breeze came from the left of Axyl and sent shivers up her spine. The cave wasn't helping in preventing the cold. What was this planet anyway? Axyl gave up for the time being and rested her head back awkwardly on the rock. The silence continued for a long while, neither Ranger knew what to say.

* * *

><p>Commander Up and the rest of the Rangers that were assigned the mission arrived at Leah and Danni's location. The Commander looked down at the scared girls sitting on the surface. Danni had her arms wrapped tightly around Leah; Leah's arms were doing the same to Danni.<p>

"What happened? Did you girls see what happened?" Up asked worried as he knelt in front of the two girls.

"...I don't know...Something just...Snatched Rockette away and Axyl ran after her. The last thing she told us was that we had to contact you..." Danni explained in a shaky voice.

Leah nodded in agreement. Up sighed and looked around. He was really worried about the well-being of his Rangers; he couldn't go back to the Starship knowing that one of his best Rangers was lost, or trapped, on a foreign planet.

"Alright, we need to go _now_! We can't sit around here moping while two Rangers are out there! For all we know they could be _dying_! I am not letting them die here!" Up yelled as he pulled out the movement detector.

He frantically searched for signs of movement anywhere and saw two red dots that seemed to be located far away from the group's location. Up, who was hopeful, started running towards the two red dots along the slick surface of this almost derelict planet. _What the hell kind of planet is this_? Up thought. _I'd hate to see what _lives_ here, if anything lives here._ He ran with a small group of Rangers following closely behind him. The group included both Leah and Danni.

"Leah, I really hope they're okay!" Danni said, puffing as she ran.

"Me too, I can't stand anyone dying, even if I haven't seen them...Just knowing scares me," Leah replied, not quite as out of breath as Danni seemed to be.

Both Rangers stopped talking and focussed on the task at hand; saving their new friends.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>Do you know why you're here<strong>__?_" A menacing and ghostly voice asked.

Axyl's head snapped up and tried to look around her then remembered that she couldn't see anything in the darkness of the cave. She paused for a moment debating whether or not she should ask her friend if she, too, heard the voice or was the source of it.

"Rockette? You didn't say anything, did you?" Axyl asked, getting slightly worried.

"N-N-No..." Rockette stuttered from the temperature which seemed to be rapidly declining.

"But you did hear that, right?" Axyl wondered, hoping that her friend did hear what she heard.

"Yeah..." Rockette sighed.

The two girls had never been so scared in their entire lives. They were on a foreign planet, trapped in a cave and now Axyl was hearing things, or so she thought. Axyl could feel something slowly crawl up her leg to where her wounds were. She felt another jolt of pain and screamed. She remembered back to when she was tied up by Raz and he and his goons proceeded to assault her. That was nothing compared to what she was experiencing now.

"_**Do you know why you're here?**_" The ghostly voice repeated.

She shook her head, hoping that they would be able to see her. Axyl couldn't speak, the pain was too much. The pain grew stronger and stronger.

"Axyl? Wh-What's happening?" Rockette asked, trying to free herself but felt more pain herself just like Axyl.

"I...I don't know!" Axyl answered both the strange voice and her friend.

"_**You've invaded our home. You must now be eliminated from the system.**_

"_**For aeons, the **_**Penumbrae**_** lived in total silence but in the company of each other. We make no sound. We needn't breathe either. Nothing has ever seen a **_**Penumbra **_**with the exception of ourselves; we're almost invisible in our environment and we block out most of the light. But **_**what**_** exactly are the **_**Penumbrae**_**, you ask?**__"_ The ghostly voice paused for an answer.

Axyl was wondering exactly that. She was terrified. Was Rockette feeling the same? What were these...things going to do to them? Eliminate is what it had said. They were going to die...

"_**They're what you **_**humans**_** call '**_**Shadows**_**'. We Shadows take on any form we deem necessary for any given task, but we're confined to the 2 dimensional world. We travel along the surface of the ground or an object. But with your arrival, or invasion I should say, you've disrupted the balance of our nature. Because you humans are solid beings, our planet doesn't know how to respond properly. It's never had to adapt to this kind of weight before. You can't tell because you aren't a **_**Penumbra**_** but our planet, it speaks to us. We hear its cries, we answer its calls. And right now, it's pleading to us to rid it of you intruders.**_" The voice had a sharp edge to it, making all this new information all the more worrying and somewhat intriguing.

Axyl waited a moment before trying to speak. She didn't know what to say exactly. She wanted to know how Rockette was, if she was okay. Axyl wanted to be able to see her surroundings, see what this _Penumbra_ looked like and wanted to see what state she was in.

"Is...Is that really necessary? Do you really think...this'll help?" Axyl asked meekly, her voice not as strong as it had been before this happened.

"_**But of course. We do whatever is necessary for this planet's survival. You're not getting away. You need to be **_**eliminated**_**.**_" The voice's menacing tone made Axyl jump a little.

"Just...Just wait a short moment!" The voice of Rockette had unknowingly stopped the Shadow's actions.

* * *

><p>Up was following the location of the dots with the other Rangers tailing behind him closely. Leah and Danni were silent the whole time, but occasionally exchanged worried glances. Up took one last look at the locator and started to slow down, a cave coming into sight.<p>

"Alright, we're here!" He called out over the communication device.

Up soon stopped at the cave mouth and turned around to face the younger Rangers. They all stopped in front of him.

"The locator indicates that Axyl and Rockette are in this cave. It looks dark so make sure you activate the flash light that has been installed into your suits. If there happens to be dividing pathways we split up but make sure you stay with your partner, am I clear?" Up asked as he looked long and hard at all the Rangers.

They all nodded and partnered up in advance. They all entered the cave, with Up leading. The Rangers activated the flash lights and hurried up with the search. From within the cave you could see blinding light coming directly at you if you were already in the cave. Up's first thought upon entering the cave was "_I hope they're still alive_."

* * *

><p>It was about to kill them and Rockette had a feeling it would have if she didn't speak up. She squirmed in her position, trying to make it more comfortable for her. It didn't work.<p>

"_**Yes? What is it? I would very much like to get rid of you foul beasts.**_" The_ Penumbra_ asked, sounding slightly impatient.

"Let me explain...My name is Rockette and my friend there is Axyl. We...Are Starship Rangers. And this is our first mission. We don't mean any harm; we were just following orders..." Rockette explained, her voice occasionally cracking from her extremely dry throat.

Silence filled the damp, stuffy cave as the _Penumbra_ processed the information. Rockette and Axyl trembled as they waited for something to happen.

"_**That does not give you any right to trespass on our planet. Whether is it for scientific research or for leisure, you should not have trespassed. You must now be eliminated!**_" The _Penumbra_ growled as it began to make advances on both the Rangers.

The last thing Rockette and Axyl remembered was a quick flash of light before they both passed out.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> **Okay, well this chapter was shorter than planned but that's because I really wanted to update because I haven't updated in what seems like forever! And sorry if this chapter isn't very good, I tried to update as fast as I could! I am SO SORRY for being a terrible updater. It's partly not my fault. My parents have given me a new routine for school. Every week day (Monday – Friday) I am not allowed on the computer/internet unless it's for school work and that I have to do homework after dinner from about 6pm to 9pm which doesn't leave ANY time to write fanfics! I can only get on the computer during weekends...SIGH! Anyways, I hope you like this chapter and that it'll keep you occupied until the next update! I should be updating next weekend or the next, depending on how long I'm on the computer for. Love you all for the favourites, story alerts and reviews! I love them! Stayed tuned!**


	17. I've Been Saved!

Chapter 17: I've Been Saved!

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Oh gawd...Again, I'm terribly sorry for not having this chapter up sooner...I was supposed to finish this chapter like 2 MONTHS ago, REALLY? I'M SO SORRY! I was stumped for ideas! I hope you all can forgive me! Thanks for putting up with my horrible updating! By the way, if there are any mistakes (spelling or grammar wise) just tell me because I didn't have time (and I wasn't bothered) to proof read it because I wanted to get this up as soon as possible!<strong>

* * *

><p>Taz was pacing up and down the hallway of the Starship, bumping into people who had the misfortune to walk down the hall that day. She didn't care about whom she was bumping into or what happened to them. She only cared about one thing. <em>Axyl<em>. The Starship had gotten a distress call from Up about 16 hours ago. That must have been how long Axyl and her friend were missing for, possibly longer.

"How de HELL did dis happen?" Taz practically shouted at the random passersby. "_Esta no se supone que debe ocurrir en su primera misi__ó__n!_"

Taz was really worried; Axyl was like a sister to her. Why hadn't Up found her already? Did he not care for Axyl as much as her? Taz had to calm herself down and take her mind off things. She finally stopped pacing up and down the hallway and started making her way to the gym. She hastily turned a corner and ran straight into someone, knocking her to the ground.

"Hey! Watch where jour going, jou _idiota_!" She said as she got up, rubbing her backside.

When she looked up at the person standing in front of her, she instantly stumbled back. Her eyes were as wide as they could get and her mouth was gaping. Long black hair tied up in a pony tail; brown eyes; that familiar face.

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't really looking where I was going," That very familiar, _British_ accent said as she looked down at the Lieutenant.

"Axyl?" Taz asked.

The Axyl look-alike laughed gently.

"No, I'm not Axyl, whose that? My name is Ezador! Flight Lieutenant Ezador Aldaine!" She smiled brightly.

"...A Flight Lieutenant?" Taz didn't believe it.

"Yes, that's right! And you are...?" Ezador asked.

"Taz...Lieutenant Taz..." The smaller woman stated her face still in slight shock.

"Well, it's nice to have met you Lieutenant Taz! We're pretty much the same rank but I help pilot the ships! Maybe we'll be able to work together someday." Ezador said cheerfully as she walked away.

Taz stood there for a good 5 minutes before she was able to move again. Did she really just meet someone who looked almost exactly like Axyl? And how was she a Flight Lieutenant? She looked so young! Well, it didn't take Taz too long to become a Lieutenant, but this girl; she looked like she was just 16 or something. This didn't make any sense. Taz forgot what she was on her way to so she headed back to her room. When Axyl was back safe she was going to be confronted with a LOT of questions that she may or may not be able to answer.

* * *

><p>The cave itself wasn't very big from what the outside showed. The Rangers stopped briefly outside the cave mouth. Up turned to them all and began to explain what they were going to do.<p>

"Alright Rangers, we're going to make _quick_ work of this. We don't want to hurt the natives or anger them too much. We're going to go in there, grab Axyl and Rockette and get the hell outta there! We took too much time getting here. They're probably already dead, but if we're lucky they're probably still on the brink of consciousness. If we let them die, I will _never_ forgive myself." Up boomed, hiding how scared and worried he was about Axyl.

The Rangers all nodded and waited for Up to give them the signal to go. Up took a few moments to internally gather his wits and then gave the young Rangers the signal. With torches on, Up lead them all into the mouth of the cave and soon found themselves in something that wasn't at all what the rest of the planet looked like. This cave was up to the ceiling in vines and moss. The most exotic plant life was found here. Danni and Leah stared in disbelief as they tugged each other along.

Not only was the cave full of flora, it was much bigger than what the Rangers were anticipating. This search could go on for hours and that wasn't a good sign. Up instructed the large group to split off into two groups; one with him and the other with Commander Parrish. The two groups went their separate ways and began their search for the two captured Rangers. Danni and Leah were curious as to what the oxygen level was in this cave. Danni got out a scanner and scanned the area around them. Surely there would have to be copious amounts of oxygen for the plant life to stay alive, right? Not to mention sunlight, but there was none. When the scanner finished its job Danni checked what the reading was.

"Commander! Check out the oxygen levels in this cave! The air in this cave is completely breathable!" Danni exclaimed as she practically shoved the device's screen into Up's face.

Up gently pushed the device away from his face and began to read what it was saying. "Oh my Dead God. You're right!" Up couldn't believe it.

The group continued down the dark tunnel they had gone down. They listened out for any sign of Axyl and Rockette but to no avail. At this rate, their search was going to take quite a while and that was not a good thought. Up quickened his pace; he wanted to find those Rangers _alive_ and to bring them back to the safety of the Starship. The silence in the cave was deafening and unbearable, and if this continued the Rangers would surely go mad.

"Does anyone have any ideas of how we might be able to find the Rangers faster?" Up asked, looking over his shoulder to the Rangers following him, trying to break the silence.

The younger Rangers looked over at each other and gave each other meaningless shrugs. Danni and Leah looked down at the ground in disappointment. Leah looked at the dirt below her and her eyes widened. Her head snapped up and she instantly grabbed on to Danni's arm as if her life depended on it.

"Hey! Let go Leah that _hurts_!" Danni whispered harshly as she tried to pry the claw like hands that clamped themselves down on her skin.

"Danni...Danni...Look down!" Leah shouted, not entirely to Danni, but to everyone else.

Sure enough, Leah found a trail. The markings and the shapes formed in the trail could very well lead them to the two captured Rangers. Up quickly examined the trail himself and without a word he set off and followed the trail. The other Rangers hastily ran off after him, trying to catch up.

"_I'm coming Axyl, you can't die on me!_" Up thought as he ran as fast as he could through the labyrinth of a cave, his torch the only source of light along with his team's lights.

* * *

><p><em>The last thing Rockette and Axyl remembered was a quick flash of light before they both passed out.<em>

Up and the Rangers barged into the opening of the tunnel together, their lights shining a little too brightly for such a dark cave. They heard hissing noises but spotted Axyl slumping straight after, making them forget about what they had heard. Up couldn't speak. He was overwhelmed that they had found Axyl sooner than he though. She was unconscious but still alive! Up looked around to see if he could find Rockette and spotted her directly to his right. He spotted more light coming from another entrance, heading toward them fast. When they emerged, Up saw that it was Commander Parrish and his small group of Rangers.

"We found them!" Up yelled to the other Commander.

Parrish smiled and gave Up a thumbs up before they both went to work, untying the girls from the rock they had been strapped to. Up carefully lifted Axyl into his arms, mindful of her body and how fragile it looked for just a couple of hours. When the Commander looked over at Parrish, he saw that he had Rockette in his arms. They nodded to and started walking each other, unaware of the chasm they were walking straight to. It wasn't until Danni and Leah yelled out for them to stop, did they escape their untimely fate. The two Commanders stopped right on the edges of their side of the chasm, briefly losing their balance before quickly moving back before they could fall in.

"Holy mother of Dead God that was close!" Up exclaimed, backing away from the edge of the chasm.

One Ranger cautiously shuffled over to the edge and peered down with the torch, giving them some light to work with. Eventually, as the Ranger looked down, the darkness (which wasn't a good sign) consumed the light. The Ranger came to the conclusion that the chasm was bottomless.

"Alright...Well, just come back the way you came and we'll be outta here faster than when we came in! See you soon Parrish!" Up ordered as he led his small group out the way they came in, Axyl lying limp in his arms.

Up knew that Axyl was a shaken up and bloodied (judging by the dried blood being covered by new blood slowly making its way down her damaged calves thanks to the gashes) but she'd pull through. She'd pulled through and came out stronger than ever when Raz had beaten her up. Up wouldn't allow Axyl to sink to the bottom like she had started to during her recovery. He would be there for her when she was falling, and he knew that Taz, Bug, February, Specs, Krayonder, Tootsie and MegaGirl would be there for her too.

Commander Up made his way through the cave, Axyl in his arms, with the rest of the Rangers following behind, shining their torches ahead of him so that he could see where he was going. He looked down at the ground to see if the trail was still there. It was, so he used that to figure out his way out of the cave. He wasn't sure about using his surroundings as a way to help him get back, so he was solely relying on this trail. If it magically disappeared somehow, they'd probably be stuck there for quite some time.

As time wore on, Axyl began to slowly wake up, well not slowly, more suddenly. She practically jumped in Up's arms when she woke up.

"Wh-Where am I? What's happening? Who's carrying me?" She managed to squeak out.

As if it was their first time meeting, Axyl's Emerald green eyes found themselves looking into Sapphire blue. She stared for a while before looking at his entire face, realising that it was Up who was holding her.

"Up?" She whispered, unshed tears stinging the back of her eyes. "Whe-Where's Rockette? Is she okay?" She suddenly asked, completely worried about her new friend.

"I'm fine, Axyl. My legs still hurt pretty badly though..." The person in mind spoke over Up's spacesuit speaker.

Axyl sighed loudly in relief. "I'm glad my actions didn't go to waste..." She said as she relaxed her neck and let her head rest against Up's shoulders.

Up smiled down at the Ranger in his arms. She was so brave and selfless, running after Rockette after she got caught by a native of this planet. If she hadn't done that, Rockette probably would have been killed by now.

"Thank you...For saving me. I should really be a better Ranger than this. Good Rangers don't get themselves captured by shadow thingy's when they're exploring a new planet...On their first mission..." Axyl said solemnly as she looked up at the Commander, a weak smile tweaking at her lips.

"No, Axyl, you _are_ a better Ranger. You risked your life to try help save Rockette. You got guts, you tough son of a bitch! It's _okay_ to have a couple of...Hiccups...During your first mission. I remember my first mission. I was on a new planet with a group of Rangers, trying to make a treaty with the natives, but I somehow managed to skip out on that information. When I saw one of the natives charging towards me, that was their greeting, I accidentally shot it." Up explained and chuckled at the memory.

Danni came up from behind Up with a look of confusion on her face. "Did you say 'shadow thingy's'?" She asked before Axyl was able to reply to Up's story.

Axyl nodded, shivering at the thought of the _Penumbra_ that had almost killed her. She knew what they were capable of, but that was only a taste of it. It had told her what they were, and why they wanted the Rangers dead. She was scared.

"Yeah, they call themselves...the _Penumbrae_. They're shadow-like creatures that are confined to the 2 dimensional world. They block out any source of light because they live in darkness. They make no noise, they don't breathe. And it said something about us...Invading their planet and wanting to rid us of the system..." Axyl explained, her head pounding from the headache she had only just received.

Danni nodded, absorbing all the information before speaking again. "Well then, we should probably get outta here before they come after all of us!" She said before pushing Up a little faster down the long cave tunnel.

* * *

><p>The Rangers all rushed to get out of the cave, using the trail left by the <em>Penumbrae<em> that dragged the two Rangers there. Leah and Danni both looked off to the walls of the cave, somewhat recognising the exotic flora they had seen when they first walked in. It didn't take them long before they were running towards the mouth of the cave, joining up with Parrish, Rockette, and his group on the way.

"Wait a minute! You're all wearing you're suits...Axyl and I don't have ours anymore!" Rockette exclaimed, nearly jumping out of Parrish's arms.

All of the Rangers stopped and checked to see if Rockette was right. She was. How were they going to bring Axyl and Rockette back to the ship? One of the training medic Rangers pushed her way through to the two un-uniformed Rangers.

"I have a couple of oxygen masks that'll last about an hour. You'll have to use that. But we'll have to hurry because that thing won't last forever!" She said as she handed both Axyl and Rockette the said oxygen masks.

The Rangers continued their way to the mouth of the cave. Axyl and Rockette promptly put their oxygen masks on before they stepped out. The group made quick work of getting back to the area where they had landed many hours before. Up contacted the pilot of the ship to faze them into the ship. The Rangers stood close together and were quickly teleported up into the ship's main room.

"I'm so glad this is all over..." Axyl muttered as she slid the oxygen mask off her face.

"Same..." Rockette replied as she did the same.

The training medic ordered the two injured Rangers to make their way to the infirmary on the ship. The licensed medics would take proper care of their gashes. Rockette and Axyl were sent to the infirmary and were lying in the beds, side by side. The two had to lie on their stomachs since the cuts, well more like stab wounds, were on the back of their legs.

"Alright girls, this'll just sting for a moment because we need to clear up all this dried blood and properly close the wound," The medic said calmly as she and another nurse were about to gently rub away the blood with a special liquid that had been absorbed by a cotton ball.

Once the cotton balls made contact with both the girl's raw and exposed skin, they both hissed at the pain. They both tensed up, hoping it would help with the pain, but it didn't do much. Axyl gripped the sheets underneath her and waited until the medic stopped wiping the dried blood away. Rockette had gotten somewhat used to the pain and wasn't tensing as much anymore.

"Well, that wasn't painful at all!" Axyl said sarcastically as her grip on the sheets lessened.

"It really wasn't, Axyl. You're just being a baby." Rockette teased as she poked her tongue out at Axyl.

"Alright, enough. It seems like the blood has stopped flowing. We're going to have to clean up the gashes a bit so they don't get infected." The medic said as the two medics prepared some anti-bacterial liquids.

They poured the liquid into the gashes to clean them out. It didn't sting as much as the other stuff but it stung enough to annoy Axyl. She looked over at Rockette next to her who seemed to be taking it easily. Once that was over the medics started stitching the gashes up.

"I don't know what you ladies did to get these but it must have been bad." One of the medics said as she was in the middle of stitching up the first gash on Axyl's left leg.

"We didn't do anything...We were attacked by these...Shadows..." Axyl explained, aware that what she just said sounded very strange.

"Right, well, when we've finished up with the stitching, you'll need to keep off your legs for a while before even thinking about walking. If you do walk and strain your legs too much, the stitches will come undone and you will damage them further." The medic explained as she finished up the first stitch on Axyl's leg.

"Alright, whatever you say, Doc. How are we supposed to get around then?" Rockette asked as she propped her head up with her hands.

"You'll have to use wheelchairs," The medic that was working on Rockette's legs replied.

"Are you serious?" Axyl asked angrily, not liking the thought of having to use a wheelchair.

Axyl was worried about looking weak, just like the first time she was seriously injured. _Oh Dead God_, she thought, _it's Raz all over again_. She sighed in defeat. She just had to face the facts; she would somehow always get seriously injured whether she liked it or not. Rockette noticed the gloomy attitude of her friend.

"Come on Axyl, you really need to stop being a baby. It's not like we'll be in the wheelchairs forever." Rockette said, trying to cheer her friend up but teasing her in the process.

"Thanks, Rockette; you're such a good friend." The other Ranger said in a monotonous and sarcastic tone.

Rockette merely smiled in response. The two girls' legs were all stitched up and both slowly and carefully turned over on to their backs. Axyl would have to get used to not using her legs. At least she had Rockette who was going through the same thing.

"Rockette's my first actual friend, apart from Up and the gang. I should make an effort to keep her as a friend. She seems cool and friendly. We've definitely bonded over being captured and injured. Maybe these few weeks of recovery won't be so bad after all." Axyl thought as she watched her friend checking out her new stitched up legs.

"These will definitely make cool scars." Rockette said with a smile.

Rockette was the perfect counterpart for Axyl. Axyl usually thought on the darker side of things, while Rockette preferred to think on the brighter side of things. Axyl was quiet and introverted, Rockette was loud and extroverted. They were opposites but, then again, opposites attract. They hadn't realised that the medics had gone until they came back with the wheelchairs.

"Here you go, ladies. Your wheelchairs are at your service!" One of the medics said as she pushed one to the side of Rockette's bed, the other medic pushing hers to Axyl's bed.

The two got out of their beds, with help from the medics, and made their way out of the infirmary. They wheeled themselves out into the main room and were greeted by the two Commanders and the group of Rangers.

"It's so good to see that you two are okay!" Danni and Leah said in unison as they both hugged Axyl and Rockette.

"Yeah, thanks. It's good to see you guys too!" Rockette said as she sat there, waiting for the two girls to unlatch themselves from her.

"You Rangers are incredibly brave. You've survived attacks from natives of a foreign planet and survived while captive. If it were anyone else, I don't think they would have survived." Up said as he stepped forward.

He leaned down and hugged Axyl, then Rockette. He gave them both a smile and a wink.

"I wonder what the head of G.L.E.E will think about this..." Axyl thought aloud.

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see. I'll deal with that and tell you about it after I discuss it with the head," Up started and sat down on one of the seats. "But for now, we just have to get back to the mother-ship. You two should rest, you'll need the energy."

Axyl and Rockette nodded as they went to their assigned rooms. As expected, their rooms were next to each others. Once the two were in their rooms and hobbled into their beds, they took no time in falling asleep. They definitely needed it after the events that happened on that hostile planet, Armadestine. The two girls slept the whole trip back to the mother-ship, only waking up to eat and go to the bathroom.

That was just the beginning of the action and adventures Axyl was going to have. And she isn't going to be alone for the rest of them. You wouldn't expect any less from such a highly praised Ranger. If she were told now that she was going to be one of the best Rangers in the galaxy, she wouldn't believe it.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note 2: What'd you guys think of this chapter? Was it goodbad? Please tell me! I'd just like to thank everyone, old and new to my story, who has read this so far and everyone who has reviewed or PM'd me! Your support goes a long way! Stay tuned!**

**P.S. Who watched Holy Musical Batman? I've watched it like 5 times! It was totally awesome! Who was your favourite character? I think mine was Candy hahaha!**

**Translations:** (They are NOT accurate translations! I do not study Spanish, I study Italian! Even though they are similar languages, they are NOT the same! I blame Google Translate for my horrible Spanish mistakes!)

'_Esta no se supone que debe ocurrir en su primera misión_' – 'This wasn't supposed to happen on her first mission!'


	18. Secrets and Revelations

_**Chapter 18: Secrets and Revelations**_

**Author's Note:** Any and all spelling mistakes are mine and mine alone. Explanation and apology is at the bottom so enjoy the chapter!

_**Warning: A bit of angst in this first part here!**_

* * *

><p><em>Three Months Later . . .<em>

The raven haired girl walked down the less used hallways of Starship on the lower levels, steel-toed boots making the only noise apart from the occasional hiss of broken pipes. The chrome hallways were always so plain and boring and it was something that everyone pushed to the back of their minds; she wondered if that was what her life was like. Her life was meaningless and insignificant. Her chocolate brown eyes scanned the area around her before quietly slipping into one of the labelled 'hazardous' rooms. When she stepped past the threshold she was greeted by a tall and well muscled young man. As she neared the sandy haired male, the dimly lit room casted shadows over her small yet intimidating face.

"I ran into Taz again earlier," Her voice was low and hinted at irritation. She made her way over to an empty seat near a table. "It made me sick acting so nice, I just wanted to tear my own throat out. You don't know how hard this is Rasputin."

"Did she recognise you this time?" Raz asked as he leaned against the table, folding his arms across his chest. He despised Taz, especially after making a fool of him all those months ago.

"Yes, but she still doesn't know _exactly_ who I am . . ." She replied as she flicked a few stray strands of hair from her face. "The first time I met her she thought I was actually . . . _her_." She practically spat the word like it was the plague.

Raz's laughter, although rather quiet, rumbled and echoed throughout the damp and empty room. When the last of his chuckles subsided he took a deep breath in to calm himself. He looked over at his boss through glassy eyes before clearing his throat and composing himself. She wasn't amused; she was rarely seen in a good mood.

"Axyl must have spoken about you to Taz at some point, right Ezador? Those two are like sisters-" Raz said before he could stop himself. He had said the wrong thing.

Ezador's face remained in the same harsh scowl she arrived with but her eyes gave away the pain that it caused her; tears were threatening to run down her cheeks. She wasn't sad, but she was angry and frustrated.

"Stop right there or I'll have your tongue ripped out and make you wear it as a necktie," She growled coldly yet her voice cracked slightly. Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, she attempted to avoid looking weak in front of her top lackey.

Although Ezador _was_ Axyl's sister, their relationship had ended years ago when Axyl left to train at the Academy. No, Ezador didn't die, but her father certainly didn't send that emergency message. In fact, it was just the opposite. Some things about the youngest Desideratus girl changed that year; her attitude, her personality and her motive for living. There were things that Axyl failed to mention about her sister to Up and Taz during the time she knew her on Earth.

* * *

><p><em>Axyl was her father's favourite, always playing with her and encouraging her to be the best. Ezador was her mother's favourite, but she had unfortunately passed away when little Ezador was 4. Since their father was so engrossed Axyl, he rarely spent time with poor little Ezador. Even though Ezador was neglected by her father, Axyl always had time for her little sister. Axyl loved her so much that when it came to choosing between her sister and the Academy she had locked herself in her room for days, hating herself for having to choose between the two.<em>

"_Don't worry, Axyl. I'll be okay by myself. You really want to do this, don't let me hold you back! When you're gone, maybe daddy will take care of me like you do," Ezador had said to a distressed Axyl in her room._

_Axyl smiled down at her little sister and stroked her hair lovingly. She pulled the little girl into an embrace, like a mother would to her daughter. Kissing the top of her sister's head, Axyl whispered something to Ezador that she would never forget._

"_No matter where I am, you'll always be my little princess. I'll always love you . . ."_

* * *

><p>Those two sentences echoed in Ezador's mind. The tears that filled her eyes finally gave way and the bitter liquid began to roll down her cheeks. She hated when memories of Axyl were shoved to the front of her mind. Any memory of her older sister would ultimately lead to when Axyl had left. Her father never changed, if anything he was more negligent towards her. For years Ezador had to learn to live on her own, even though she still lived with her father. Ezador was a very smart child, even more so than her sibling. But during that period of time, something blossomed within that little girl, something snapped. It had been boiling for years, that small spark of an idea. An idea that Axyl and her father had plotted against her, an idea that they wanted her to suffer. With her smart and overactive imagination it took no time for Ezador to over think this idea so that it well and truly planted itself in her now tainted mind. Before she could dwell more on the memories Raz had snapped her out of her thoughts.<p>

"Sorry . . . But we should do something about this, right? I mean the whole . . . Axyl thing? You did want to get rid of her," He said cautiously as to not anger the younger girl again. "I didn't mess her up all that time ago just for you to do nothing. What do you plan to do?"

Ezador shifted her gaze from the floor to Raz, her eyes still glistening from raw emotion and her cheeks were stained by her hot tears. While nodding, she took a deep breath in before attempting to answer.

"Yes, I still want her gone. She's caused me enough pain in my life. It's time I give her something to suffer about. She is going to pay, she abandoned me and left me in the hands of an...An imbecile, an incompetent bastard! She ruined my life and now I will take hers . . ." Ezador's shaky voice prompted an eyebrow raise from Raz.

The sandy haired young man had never seen his boss so . . . Emotional and unsteady. She was always ruthless and strong-minded, nothing could throw her off. But when he first asked about _why_ she wanted to hire him to spy and shadow Axyl, she nearly stabbed him right then and there.

Ezador had been planning this for years and once she had everything ready she snuck her way into the Academy, not before getting rid of that sad excuse of a man, the man whom she had called 'father'. She always kept her eye on Axyl, through training and classes. When Axyl graduated, she was there. But she wasn't there for support, she was there to observe and plot. And the whole time she had been watching Axyl, she studied at the Academy herself. She registered under a false identity, faked her age, changed her last name to Aldaine and kept a low profile. With her brilliant mind she managed to keep up to speed with Axyl's level of knowledge, and even exceed her in intelligence. After Axyl had graduated, Ezador had followed. She snuck her way on to the Mother ship and, with the help of her new found lackey Raz, didn't seem to draw too much attention to herself. Raz even helped her build up a good reputation among the staff.

Ezador had spiked the interest of many Starship Rangers and had a lot of potential to be one of the best. Professor Grizwald, the head of the G.L.E.E, allowed her to train as a Starship Ranger; he had this feeling about her, she looked oddly familiar and reminded her of someone but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She was promptly put into an elite Ranger squad, which Grizwald had only just established. These elite Rangers were going to go through rigorous and strenuous training. This was all covert operations and just a prototype project. The Rangers were all assigned a specific position just like a normal Starship. Since Ezador was still so young – not that the Commanders knew – she couldn't be anything extremely important or recognisable so she asked to be assigned to train as a Flight Lieutenant, helping pilot the ship and was in charge of the defence of the ship.

Ezador trained under the watchful eye of one of the most famous Rangers in the galaxy (apart from Commander Up). Commander Isolde Methisia was hired to help train these young protégés to blossom into the toughest Rangers the galaxy has ever seen. Ezador looked up to Isolde, even more so than she did Axyl, during the time she was there for her. The Commander took care of these Elite's like they were her own children. The training, like Grizwald warned, was very intense and tough, but nothing the younger Desideratus girl couldn't handle. Not only did she begin to gain skills and abilities, she also made. . . 'friends'. Ezador started her little convoy of henchmen and minions from Rangers that she met over the course of her time on the Starship. They all heard about the incidents with Axyl – some had even witnessed them – and understood why Ezador would want to get rid of her.

On particularly good days, just flying the ship, cruising space, Ezador would grin at what she had accomplished during her time here. She would talk to herself, something that was not entirely uncommon, and was uncharacteristically nicer on these days. But on most days, her expression would be a permanent scowl, much like her older sister's. Her thoughts would drift to her mission and then to her past. Some nights while in her quarters she would cry about losing her sister to the Academy and the Rangers or she would get so angry that she'd completely tear the walls down in her room. Despite these bouts of emotional disarray, Isolde would be there for her to help her through those tough times. Sometimes Ezador would wish – _hoped_ – that she was the one that died; the one that escaped the cruel reality of the world and her father. She wished that she could escape the cruel mechanics of her over-reactive and over-imaginative mind. Maybe her obsession of wanting to kill Axyl was turning her insane. Whatever the cause, she was past the point of no return.

* * *

><p>Bug was walking down the hallway, making his way to Axyl's room to deliver a message. It was from Taz telling Axyl to meet up with her whenever she had time up on the sky deck. Bug had run into the Hispanic woman on his way to Axyl's anyway, so why not give the message for her? Today Bug was supposed to take Axyl and Rockette on their daily walk, as ordered by the doctor at the rehabilitation centre. The whole crew of Starship 15A2 alternated turns in taking the two girls for their walks. The orange Bug reached his destination and knocked lightly on the door. Several moments went past and Bug could hear rustling and a tapping noise getting closer and closer. The door slid open to reveal a very familiar young woman; short black hair (she had cut it short for a change of look and the orange was fading out), layered and messy; pale skin tone; the black singlet and camouflage pants; and that distinctive British accent.<p>

"Hey Bug. You're here for my walk, right?" Axyl asked as she leaned against the door frame, relieving some stress from the crutches she was using. She bent over briefly to scratch at her bandaged leg, not that it did any good.

"I sure am! We'll go pick Rockette up now," Bug said cheerfully, his antennae perking up as he spoke.

Axyl smiled as her escort stepped to the side and out of her way. Axyl had been on crutches for a few weeks now (and was still getting used to them), not really having to use them only when she was in her room or at the rehabilitation centre. Rockette was in the same condition but seemed to be doing better than her friend. Both girls' rooms weren't too far from each other's so they saw each other more frequently. In a short minute, the two arrived in front of the missing member of their party's room. Axyl, instead of knocking, entered in the code for Rockette's room. The door whooshed open and inside was an alarmed Ranger, her crutches falling to the ground from shock.

"Good Dead God! You really have to _stop_ doing that, Axyl! One day you'll do that, with me still thinking it's a person trying to kill me, and I'll end up hurting you!" Rockette sighed in relief when she registered who has just opened the door to her room.

This always happened. Rockette knew it was a bad idea giving Axyl her room code but she wasn't bothered to change it. She remembered when she first gave Axyl her room code. The British girl looked so distraught and worried; she needed someone to talk to and keep her company. Rockette immediately offered to stay with Axyl, taking her into her own room. The two sat and talked, trying to take Axyl's mind off of things. They laughed for hours until they both fell asleep during the early hours of the morning. When the girls woke up they knew that their friendship was strengthening. Rockette didn't want Axyl to leave, she was too much fun! Axyl didn't want to leave either, taking her time getting out of Rockette's room. Before Axyl could leave, the brown haired girl stopped her and gave her the room code. Axyl gave hers in return.

"I just can't help myself!" Axyl put her hands up in defence while trying to stifle her laughter, interrupting Rockette's thoughts in the process. "You're an easy target!" The two had bonded immensely over the past three months of recovery and were now best friends.

Rockette sighed with a smile playing at her lips. "I am _not_ an easy target," She grumbled before struggling to crouch down and pick her crutches up, nearly toppling over as she did so.

Axyl rolled her eyes in exaggeration as she leaned against the doorway, watching her friend. Bug saw Rockette struggling and decided to put her out of her misery. He picked up the crutches for the Ranger and handed them to her.

"Thanks, Bug. At least _someone_ likes to help people in need!" Rockette mock glared at her best friend, a smile tugging at her lips.

Axyl knew that Rockette was just playing – when wasn't she? – and knew that she'd help her friend if she were ever in trouble. "Hey, I saved your sorry arse back on _Armadestine_ when the _Penumbrae_ got you!" She smirked. The subject of Rockette's capture was no longer a touchy one and they could freely talk and joke about it now.

"Oh shush you!" Rockette made her way over to Axyl and punched her in the arm before shuffling past her to get out of her room.

"Break it up you two. Hurry up or you won't be having your walk at all! It is the Doc's orders you know." Bug chirped up before Axyl had the chance to reply or retaliate.

Axyl huffed in defeat before following Rockette and Bug. Heading to their usual starting point near the balconies overlooking the wide expanse of space, the trio found themselves talking amicably and laughing. Axyl leaned against the railing near the window as she walked, her crutches making it a little difficult to lean. Her gaze was fixed on the magical sight of the universe that was presented to her from the windows.

"I can never get enough of this breath-taking view. It makes me feel so. . . at peace." Axyl muttered under her breath as she continued to idly walk along the rows of tall windows.

* * *

><p><em>She stopped briefly, leaning her head against the window. She caught sight of that familiar, yet foreign planet called <em>Earth_. As she watched the blue planet, thoughts of her choice of career floated around in her mind. What would life have been like if she had stayed on _Earth_? What kind of things would she missing out on back on her home planet? And would her sister still be alive if she had just stayed home? Axyl couldn't imagine life without the thrill of being a Starship Ranger or not having the pleasure to have met and befriend the people she looked up to most. She definitely could not imagine life without her best friend. Yet, she couldn't help but feel guilty for thinking of these things, knowing that her sister died and that she knew what life was like without her. It was confusing and conflicting and she didn't want to have to think about it at all._

* * *

><p>"Same. . . It's just. . . something about space is so intimidating yet calming." Rockette added as she smiled over to her friend in front of her. Upon hearing Rockette's voice, Axyl shook her head and snapped out of her thoughts.<p>

When she turned to face her two companions she was met with worried faces.

"Hey, are you feeling okay? You seem a little sad. What's wrong?" Rockette asked quietly as she shuffled closer to her friend, resting a hand on the short haired girl's shoulder.

"Yeah. . . Yeah, I'm fine. Just. . . Thinking, that's all," Axyl replied as she half-heartedly smiled back. She waved her hair dismissively in the air. "Honestly, don't worry about it."

Rockette and Bug were reluctant to let it go, but did so silently. Rockette had hoped that both her and Axyl were close enough already that there was nothing that they didn't tell each other. The taller girl had trusted Axyl with her most well kept secrets; things she wasn't too proud of. She even told Axyl of the time she had almost, accidentally killed someone. She didn't like to relive the past, but seemed to be relieved when she finally told Axyl. Just as Rockette had done to her, Axyl told Rockette some of her secrets. The most prominent one was leaving her sister and thinking that the reason she died was because of her.

As the three walked, they talked about Bug's time on Bug Planet and how he became a Starship Ranger and how he met the rest of the crew. Axyl had heard this story countless times, and it was better every time she heard it; Rockette hadn't heard it before and was immensely intrigued by Bug's adventures.

* * *

><p>Bug had taken the two friends around most of the Starship and finally to the Nature Garden before returning them to their rooms. They had dropped Rockette off first with Axyl promising to join her for dinner. When the remaining two reached Axyl's room, Axyl was about to close the door before Bug spoke up.<p>

"Axyl, I've been meaning to tell you, but the walk kind of got in the way. . . " Bug started, briefly forgetting what he was going to tell her.

"Yes? What is it Bug?" Axyl asked a little more annoyed than she intended; she was tired after her walk after all.

"Oh! Right! Taz wanted me to tell you to meet her up on the Sky Deck whenever you felt like it. Just let her know when you're thinking about going over so that she isn't waiting too long or arrives late." Bug explained, watching Axyl's expression change.

The only time Taz really talked to her since before the mission was during their walks, so they didn't really get much time to connect. Axyl felt like she had grown distant from Taz the past couple of months. She guessed it was a good thing that Taz asked to see her. With the message delivered, Bug left and scuttled down the hallway to a Foreign Languages class he had to teach.

This left Axyl by herself in her room. She thought about when she'd go see Taz. Maybe she should go now. Or maybe she should go later. She repeatedly picked up and put down her transmitter. She couldn't decide when to notify Taz. The short-haired girl picked up the transmitter again and hesitantly scrolled through her list of contacts before stopping at Taz. She paused for a moment before accidentally pressing the call button. She nearly panicked but not even a second before Taz answered, Axyl calmed herself. Why was she so nervous? Maybe it had something to do with what Taz wanted to talk to her about.

"_Hola_?" Came a voice Axyl had become so accustomed to.

It was silent for a beat.

"Hey is anyone dere?"

"Y-Yeah. Taz, it's me. Bug said you wanted to talk to me?"

"That's right. Are jou okay? Jou don't sound so well."

"No, I'm fine, really. When do you wanna meet up?"

"How does 10 minutes sound? Up at the Sky Deck."

"Sure. I'll see you then. . ." Axyl sighed as she hung up. She gripped the transmitter tightly as she sat down on her bed.

She heard a whirring noise before she felt something tugging on her customary tank top. Axyl looked down and was surprised to see Mini-Tron looking up at her with what could be taken as concern. It had been a while since Axyl ever really saw Mini, let alone talked to him. She held out her hand to him and he gladly hopped on. The raven haired girl held the small robot up to her eye level.

"Hello, Miss Desideratus! It has been exactly 3 months, 18 days, 9 hours and 34 minutes since we've last communicated. How strange!" The robot chimed as his cold, metallic hand patted her thumb.

"Yeah, little buddy. It's been a while. To tell you the truth, I kinda almost forgot about you," Axyl felt guilty for forgetting her little friend. "I've just. . . Got a lot on my mind, ya know?"

"I understand, Miss. You have been recovering from your injuries. But that doesn't seem to be everything. My radars are detecting something on your mind that is causing you much distress." Mini-Tron reported as he faced Axyl completely.

Axyl eyed the robot for a while before cracking a smile. "You sure are smart and receptive, aren't you?"

"Well, I have to be. It's what I was programmed for. I am supposed to be your friend when others cannot."

"It's nice talking to you, I must say. Alright. I'll spill. Taz wants to talk to me, and I have a feeling it's something important. Something important and I just know it's going to stress me. I can feel it, Mini."

"I see. Well, the best course of action Miss is to confront her. Listen to what she has to say. I'm sure she wouldn't want to hurt you on purpose. Don't dwell on it too much. If anything, you worrying about it will cause more harm than good. I am quite confident that you'll be just fine. You and Taz are like two peas in a pod; two sisters, I dare say."

"Hah, sisters. We were quite close. But that was before the mission. She's grown distant, but I'm not sure why. Hopefully she'll clear things up at the Sky Deck. I really miss her. . ." said Axyl as she thought back to the days when she felt more like a kid playing around with her childhood heroes.

Mini-Tron merely nodded, sensing that the conversation was now terminated and proceeded to jump off of Axyl's hand and on to the bed. He shuffled along the sheets and climbed up on to the bedside table. The young Ranger stood up carefully and watched as her little robot took his place on the corner of the table. She smiled as she reached for her crutches and began making her way to the door. She turned around and looked back at the robot.

"Thanks for talking to me. I really needed to get that off my chest." Axyl inhaled deeply, as if it was the first time breathing, yet there was still a small inkling of anxiety burrowed deep in her chest.

"Not at all, Ma'am. Have a good rest of your day." Mini-Tron replied before putting himself into hibernate mode.

With that, Axyl left the room in search of the Sky Deck.

* * *

><p>"Axyl! I'm glad jou could make it. I've been meaning to talk to jou for a really long time now." Taz explained as she helped Axyl get settled into one of the benches overlooking the scenery of space.<p>

"Yeah, no problem," Axyl smiled briefly before wincing in pain for bending her legs too fast as she went to sit down. When she was comfortably seated, Taz sat down beside her. "So, what's up?"

"Eh . . . A lot is up. I just . . . need to collect my thoughts before speaking." Taz laughed nervously as she tried to think of the best way to tell Axyl what she had seen all those months ago and just very recently.

"It's no rush. Take your time."

"Okay. Well, back a few months ago, while jou were on the mission, I ran into someone on the ship. Now, this person . . . this person happened to look almost exactly like jou. If it weren't for the hair, I would have been totally convinced. I talked to her and I just couldn't believe how much she looked like you. She introduced herself to me. She is a Flight Lieutenant, but she can't be more than 15 years old. She told me that her name is Ezador Aldaine."

"Wh-What? What was that name?" Axyl asked suddenly alarmed.

"Ezador. Ezador Aldaine." Taz supplied. She watched several different emotions flit across Axyl's face before panic set in fully.

"Ezador? Her name . . . Is Ezador?!" Axyl almost shouted.

"Yes! I just said that! Ezador _Aldaine_."

"Oh no. No. No! She can't be! But. But sh-she. She _died_!" Axyl began to hyperventilate, hanging her head in between her knees. "She's dead Taz!"

"Calm down Axyl! Just breathe! Deep breaths." Taz said in a calming voice as she rubbed circles on Axyl's back.

Axyl began to calm down. Her breathing slowly returned to normal and her eyes had welled up with tears.

"Is this s-some kind of j-joke, Taz?" Axyl asked, hiccupping throughout the question.

"No. It's not a joke Axyl. Why would I ever joke about something serious?" Taz asked, almost taking it to offence.

"I . . . I'm sorry Taz. I just – I can't go through this – I never told you did I?" Axyl straightened up from her position and turned to face the Hispanic woman.

"Told me what?" Taz looked thoroughly confused and concerned.

"About my sister . . ."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> And Imma end it here folks.

Well shit. I finally finished this chapter. Geez, took me long enough, eh? With enough threats from some of my friends to last me a lifetime and the growing guilt of being incredibly lazy and putting this fic on hiatus, I whipped this out well . . . Really slowly. Because I felt bad, I decided to make it the longest chapter yet, I think. It's about 8 and a bit pages long on Word so feel blessed!  
>I swear I started this chapter back before I posted the sneak peak. I just wasn't in the writing mood, ya know? As some of you may know I have a tendency to get bored of my stories, and this is no exception. Luckily, it will be ending soon (in about 56 chapters or so) and I will be rewriting old chapters because, quite frankly, my older chapters were written quite poorly and there were some chapters there that weren't even necessary. Like, what was I thinking? Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to make me feel bad for not writing/posting this sooner, I give you all permission to do so. Review please! It means the world to me, and you'll probably all wanna complain about how crappy I am at updating!  
>Thanks again and stay tuned!<p> 


End file.
